RONALDO CAN BE THE BEST

Last updated : 24 September 2006 By Ed

'When you deal with young players, it is not about telling them, or forcing them to do certain things.

'It is about getting them to think about life, principles and values, teaching them to think for themselves and come up with the right answers.

'You want them to try to create the right balance between how they play, the things they say, the friends they have, everything around the game, on and off the pitch.

'With Cristiano I am always trying to create that special ambition and desire within him not to be one of the best players in the world but to be the best player in the world. He can do it, there is no doubt in my mind about that.

'In the few months since the World Cup, Cristiano has grown up and matured fantastically.

'We won't speak about what happened against Benfica last season, we did that at the time.

'I think he realises this is a special opportunity for him to reverse what happened last season and leave the stadium in a correct manner.

'Cristiano has shown recently that he is not affected by mistakes, that he has a strong personality and can play with a lot of authority. I am sure he will do well.'