Bernardo Silva has given his insight into what makes Cristiano Ronaldo one of the greatest players that the game has seen.
The Manchester City playmaker is a teammate of the former Manchester United and Real Madrid forward with the Portugal national side, with the pair influential in winning the final of the inaugural UEFA Nations League last summer.
Explaining what makes the multiple Ballon D'Or winner so special, Bernardo picked out the 35-year-old's ability to regularly make the difference in any scenario whether that is an important game or simply a training session.
“I think what makes him so great is his mentality. He is 35-years-old and it has been more than 15 years that he has played at the top level and he is not tired," he said.
"He always wants more. He wants to win more Champions Leagues, he wants to win more titles with Portugal, he wants to win more leagues, more individual trophies, he wants more goals.
"I think what is annoying about him, in a way, is that in a training session, you play a game, and it is 1-1. The manager says whoever scores wins, and it is always him. It is not only in the games. When a game is stuck and you don’t know if you’re going to win or not, you know that if you give him the ball, he is the guy who decides; something special might happen when he has the ball.
"Even in the training session it is kind of annoying because it is always him that scores the most important goals! I think that is what makes him special, being there in the most important moments.”
The Nations League was one of five trophies Bernardo lifted last season in a remarkable season that saw him drive City to their second successive Premier League title in the absence of Kevin De Bruyne.
Despite his individual brilliance, the 25-year-old has been praised by Pep Guardiola since arriving at the Etihad in 2017 for his team spirit in slotting in in a number of positions and responding well when he doesn't make the team.
If Bernardo knows what to expect from Ronaldo with Portugal, he has a similar sense of certainty when he lines up with his City teammates.
“Some games you are more confident than others," Bernardo added. "I always have one thing in my mind, I say 'Bernardo, if one day you are not feeling confident about something, just look to your left side and right side'.
"When I am not feeling confident about a game, I go into the tunnel, we are almost going out on to the pitch, I look around and I see Aymeric Laporte, Ederson, Fernandinho, Kevin [De Bruyne], David [Silva], Kun [Aguero], whoever. I look around and I think why am I afraid? That is the good thing about having such amazing teammates.”
