Love him or loathe him, one thing not even the biggest of Cristiano Ronaldo detractors can argue against is his dedication to the game. At 40 years old and now chasing a total of 1000 career goals, the all-time great remains in supreme physical condition and is the star attraction with Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League.
His stringent lifestyle, which involves a strict diet, regular gym work, and emphasis on water intake and sleep, has long been credited for his longevity.
And it seems timekeeping has never been an issue either, as Emmanuel Adebayor found out when he made his own move to Real Madrid back in January 2011.
A surprise loan signing from Manchester City, the Togo striker would win his only major career honour during his time in Spain, appearing in the club’s Copa del Rey final win over Barcelona. But it was his first day at the Bernabeu, and not the silverware, that provided the abiding memory of his short spell.
“When I first signed for Real Madrid, we all knew that Cristiano Ronaldo was a professional,” he told the Football S27 show. “And they (Madrid) were like ‘Emmanuel, you kind of have people saying that you are a bad guy, so try at least for the first week to two to be the best version of Adebayor’.
“So they called me and they said that tomorrow training is supposed to start at 10.30am but if you can get there at 9.30am, one hour before training, and I’m like ‘okay’. This is my first session there is no time to be late.”
True to his word, the ex-Arsenal and Tottenham man actually arrived at 8.45am, impressing himself by being the first player to show up. Or so he thought, until he realised that despite the training room lights not being turned on, there was noise coming from another room.
Adebayor continued: “I was like “What’s happening down there?’ Because it was my first session, I asked one of the physios what was happening downstairs. He said ‘Oh, Cristiano is downstairs and swimming already.”
Sure enough, ‘CR7’ soon emerged having completed his vigorous pre-training workout. And following a brief introduction, Adebayor learnt his new team-mate had arrived as early as 7.30am, a show of commitment he has never forgotten.
“Look at him (Ronaldo) today and he’s 40, he’s still living big, still playing football and is still on top of the game,” he added. “It’s just beautiful to watch, and he is an example for the kids.”
In comparison, Adebayor announced his own retirement in March 2023, aged 39, after a short spell in his native country with Semassi. He remains a hero in his homeland, scoring 32 times for Togo in 87 international games.
