Cristiano Ronaldo Claims 'Nobody' Will Compare With His Incredible Career

Cristiano Ronaldo thinks quite highly of his body of work.

Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo believes no player will compare with his achievements when he retires, claiming his talent, dedication and work ethic are incomparable to other footballers.

Ronaldo is seen by many as one of the best players in the world and has won the Ballon d'Or award five times, the joint most alongside Barcelona rival Lionel Messi.

As quoted by Marca and speaking as part of a Nike advertisement to launch his new boots, the Portugal star claimed: "Nobody is going to be compared with me, nobody is going to be Cristiano Ronaldo. You're going to be yourself and I'm going to be myself."

Speaking about his rise from aspiring youngster to global icon, Ronaldo explained that not everyone believed he was a star in the making. 

"In the beginning I was dreaming of being the best player in the world," he said, adding: "Friends of mine looked at me like, 'What are you talking about?' I was playing for fun, but in my mind I thought I had potential and I started in Manchester."

Ronaldo's senior club career began in Portugal in 2002, where he made 25 first-team appearances for Sporting CP, scoring three goals before joining Manchester United in 2003.

In six seasons with Sir Alex Ferguson's United, he developed into one of the most highly respected forwards in world football, scoring 84 goals for the Red Devils, and winning three Premier League titles and one Champions League.

The 33-year-old added: "I don't see many people with my talent, my dedication, my work ethic."

His manager at Real Madrid, Zinedine Zidane, seems to agree. He paid tribute to Ronaldo's work ethic after the Spanish giants' thrilling 6-3 victory over Girona in La Liga on Sunday, in which the Portuguese star scored four goals.

After the match, the former France star was full of praise for his match-winner: "He is tremendous. In training he is incredible. For example, if there is a penalty, he takes it with maximum concentration. And that is only training. It is incredible."

Now 33, Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 22 league goals this season so far, a tally surpassed in La Liga only by his longstanding rival Messi, who has netted 25 times.