Rio Ferdinand: Ronaldo Is Aware of All Criticism and Uses It as Motivation to Become the Best Player

According to talkSPORT, Ronaldo is aware of all the negative comments directed at him, and Rio Ferdinand believes this is precisely why he is obsessed with being the best.

This is the view of his former Manchester United teammate, Rio Ferdinand. Ferdinand stated that Ronaldo, at 41, has always strived to prove his critics wrong.

Ronaldo, whose career is in its twilight years, is on the verge of becoming the first player in history to score 1,000 goals.

The experienced forward is in the final year of his contract with Al Nassr FC and is currently just 19 goals away from this remarkable milestone.

Ronaldo has won the Ballon d'Or five times and the Champions League five times, solidifying his place in football history, yet criticism surrounding him has never ceased.

Who Has Criticized Ronaldo?

Former teammate Gary Neville and Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher have both experienced Ronaldo's coldness after making negative comments about him.

During his second spell at Manchester United, Ronaldo snubbed Neville before a Premier League match against West Ham. When Neville approached him, Ronaldo only greeted Louis Saha and Jamie Redknapp, ignoring Neville entirely.

Months earlier, Neville had criticized Ronaldo for walking off the pitch and refusing to come on as a substitute during a match against Tottenham Hotspur. Carragher had also suggested that Manchester United sell Ronaldo that summer and subsequently received similar treatment.

When Sky Sports broadcast the Manchester United vs. Liverpool match, Ronaldo greeted Neville and Roy Keane but refused to shake hands with Carragher.

Ferdinand stated on the "Sports Breakfast Show" that he and Ronaldo worked together at Old Trafford for six years, winning nine trophies together, and Ronaldo never forgot those who spoke ill of him.

The former defender believes that Portugal's all-time leading goalscorer uses criticism as motivation to push himself to excel in everything he does.

What Did Rio Ferdinand Say About Ronaldo?

Co-host Ally McCoist said that Ronaldo must be very focused on reaching the 1,000-goal milestone. Ferdinand then said: "Yes, he will be obsessed. I think 'obsession' is the key word when it comes to him."

Ferdinand said: "You can talk about talent, you can talk about goal-scoring instinct, you can talk about these things. But he is obsessed with maintaining peak physical condition, obsessed with being the best, obsessed with scoring the most goals, and obsessed with leaving his mark on the game and becoming a legend."

"He's simply obsessed with these things. If you've said something even slightly inappropriate, he'll know—those words will always reach him."

"He'll find those comments, dwell on them, and use them as fuel. Sometimes people will attack him with negative words."

"But without these traits, he wouldn't be Ronaldo. It's this almost paranoid streak that makes him constantly fight back against any negative comments and emotions that come his way."

"He harnesses these things. I think any young player who observes him will ask themselves: 'How can I succeed?'"

"It's not just about being a good footballer. You have to find something that mentally ignites you, something that drives you to strive to be the best every single day, and that's what he does."