Ronaldo has retired.

Tummy · 14 Feb 2011 at 13:41

A living legend.

One of my all time favourite players, fantastic to see him play in his prime and a really sad day for football, it's lost one of it's all time greats.

Tummy · 14 Feb 2011 at 13:43

Guardian Link

[J.D.C] · 14 Feb 2011 at 13:45

Awesome player. One that made the game from a forwards perspective look so very simple.

Had the skills and technique but a lot of the time, he just used sheer power and speed, dropped the shoulder and waltzed through world class defenders.

Weebull · 14 Feb 2011 at 13:49

At his peak, the best striker in the world, by far, and possibly the most complete that I've ever seen. Power, pace and skill in abundance.

If his legs hadn't gone, and he hadn't gotten fat and lazy, he'd probably still be banging them in for a top side. 352 goals in 515 games is crazy.

Shamikebab · 14 Feb 2011 at 13:52

not allowed retirement threads around here

Tummy · 14 Feb 2011 at 13:54

*awaits closure of thread

*

We should be okay really as he didn't play for United

Great player, I know he "enjoyed life" as it has been put, but I also heard that the drugs he was on towards the end of his career made him put on lots of weight (drugs to help him play not for his own personal use

)

guyfawkes5 · 14 Feb 2011 at 13:56

Weebull said:
352 goals in 515 games is crazy.

Imagine that stat if he hadn't let himself go... it boggles the mind.

Shamikebab said:
not allowed retirement threads around here

G|mp · 14 Feb 2011 at 13:59

Legend.

Will never forget that hat trick that destroyed MU at Old Trafford, he received a standing ovation and rightly so.

drunkenmaster · 14 Feb 2011 at 14:25

guyfawkes5 said:
Imagine that stat if he hadn't let himself go... it boggles the mind.

Its pretty damn harsh to say he let himself go. Chronic injury's and pain screw you up. Its likely to keep playing as long as he did and he was training very very little, kind of like King, to prevent pain/injury between games and to let his joints rest between games.

34 year old with his knee issues I'd be pretty sure he didn't let himself go but was just barely hanging in there till his body couldn't do it anymore.

ANyway, a proper legend, ridiculously good striker, power and physical strength combined with speed, but a superb touch and ability to go with it. Absolute shame his best years were ripped apart by injury, but says a lot about the guy he kept coming back after such big layoffs and such bad injuries.

Frankly its amazing he got to 34 before retiring.

Weebull · 14 Feb 2011 at 14:33

Aye, it's ridiculous to think that even after his injuries robbed him of that extra pace and skill, he still tipped up at Real and kept banging them in.

Shamikebab said:
not allowed retirement threads around here

I thought the rule was for only players we'd miss?

daz · 14 Feb 2011 at 14:35

Look up his scoring record on wiki, it's absolutely amazing.

He's done well to keep going for so long despite his injuries.

guyfawkes5 · 14 Feb 2011 at 14:36

drunkenmaster said:
Its pretty damn harsh to say he let himself go. Chronic injury's and pain screw you up. Its likely to keep playing as long as he did and he was training very very little, kind of like King, to prevent pain/injury between games and to let his joints rest between games.

34 year old with his knee issues I'd be pretty sure he didn't let himself go but was just barely hanging in there till his body couldn't do it anymore.

He was put out to pasture long ago DM, I was referring to when age wouldn't really have the majority factor in his 'downfall'.

daz · 14 Feb 2011 at 14:39

He paid a lot of respect to Bobby Robson when he passed as well.

Tummy · 14 Feb 2011 at 14:42

He often mentions Sir Bobby as a very big influence on him. Comes across as a really top guy, also nice to read about what Sir Bobby said about him in FourFourTwo.

I'm really sad to see him retire

daz · 14 Feb 2011 at 15:25

[J.D.C] · 14 Feb 2011 at 15:50

daz said:

Great game, great player.

First and last goals of the hat-trick are brilliant - although I remember being disappointed at the time when Barthez let the first one past him at his near post.

Second one despite being great teamwork still smacks of clueless defending.

blues_r_best · 14 Feb 2011 at 15:51

He's alleging that AC provided him with drugs that are illegal in football and that these caused a hyperthyroid condition which has given him varicose veins and slowed his metabolism down. This is what's making him fat.

I'd imagine that Italian authorities will be very interested to hear this, given that much of what goes on within the AC medical lab remains a mystery.

[J.D.C] · 14 Feb 2011 at 15:53

blues_r_best said:
He's alleging that AC provided him with drugs that are illegal in football and that these caused a hyperthyroid condition which has given him varicose veins and slowed his metabolism down. This is what's making him fat.

I'd imagine that Italian authorities will be very interested to hear this, given that much of what goes on within the AC medical lab remains a mystery.

You referring to the likes of Maldini and Cafu?

blues_r_best · 14 Feb 2011 at 15:54

[J.D.C];18464645 said:
You referring to the likes of Maldini and Cafu?

Scratch that, the person reporting that (http://twitter.com/#!/Santapelota) misquoted him. It was actually the other way round, he required the drugs to solve the hyperthyroid condition but refused to take them because they're illegal in football. He can now take them.

daz · 14 Feb 2011 at 15:57

[J.D.C];18464628 said:
Great game, great player.

So many great players on the pitch in that game, plus Steve McManaman.