18 June 2024 , 19:56
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Frank Lampard has paid tribute to Cristiano Ronaldo 's dedication after bumping into the Portugal superstar on holiday.
Ronaldo, 39, is competing in his sixth European Championship finals and remains a hugely influential player for the Portugal national team. He comes into the tournament off the back of a fruitful season with Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, where he plundered 44 goals in 45 matches.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner won his 208th cap in Tuesday night's match against Czech Republic. And Lampard, working as a pundit for BBC Sport, shared a story about how Ronaldo still made time to train while on holiday.
Speaking before Portugal took on the Czechs, Lampard said of Ronaldo on BBC One: "What a great attitude and professionalism from him to [still] be playing at this level. The numbers are incredible.
"I actually bumped into him on holiday a few months ago. I was in the same hotel on the beach. Unfortunately his sunspot every day was a bit down from me and I made sure to stay away from him because he was in incredible shape, so I gave him a little bit of distance! I pulled him over [as] I wanted my son to have a picture because of the player he's been. I quickly put my t-shirt on and had a nice picture with him but I noticed he was going over to the gym twice a day with his personal trainer. It just shows you his dedication to what he does."
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There had been uncertainty over Ronaldo's role with the national team after Roberto Martinez was appointed as head coach back in January 2023.
Martinez, though, hailed the "elite mindset" of his captain on the eve of Portugal's Group F opener and has given no indication that he wants to phase out the former Manchester United and Real Madrid striker.
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Cristiano Ronaldo started for Portugal vs Czechia (Jose Breton/Getty Images)The Portugal boss said: “I faced Ronaldo while coaching Everton in 2013. For most players, when the body starts failing, the head accepts it. In his case, it seems to be the opposite. The body will only stop when the head says it has to stop.
“It’s incredible when a player of his age has the habits and the desire of an 18-year-old. He has an elite-level mindset and no limits. He’s been with the national team for 20 years now. That’s unique.”