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Ronaldo - too good for a bus pass

I'm not the type of person to get upset on hearing the news that a player, no matter how great, is hanging up his boots. Being an Arsenal fan, I knew of friends who shed tears when Dennis Bergkamp said goodbye to football, and I should have been too, but I strangely wasn't. The news that Ronaldo is contemplating ending an extraordinary career proved different though.

What's different about this is that Ronaldo wasn't an ordinary player � the man was football when I was growing up. He was my generation's footballing superstar, and unlike today, that's what it was all about � football. No endorsements for soft drinks, no sarongs, no pink boots � just football. Growing up watching him can teach you so much about the game � how to use your body, pace, strength, movement off the ball, and lets not forgot the skill the man possessed. Footballers are far too often compared to ballerinas, but Ronaldo was the original twinkle toes.

Without wanting to put my nose any further up his derri�re, Ronaldo had a near perfect career. He has appeared in four world cups, on the winning side twice, and is the tournament's record goal scorer (15). He has represented some of the worlds most prestigious football clubs, with a CV that mentions PSV Eindhoven, Barcelona, Inter and AC Milan, Real Madrid and now Corinthians. He has twice won the Ballon d'OR (1997, 2002), along with a host of Spanish, Italian and Dutch titles � to name them all would take the best part of a season. While injuries have not been kind to O Fen�meno ("The Phenomenon"), with three career-threatening knee problems, it has been a testament to his strength of character that he has returned to the top level every time. These factors make his ever nearing pension plans all the more dramatic.

“The end is arriving though and I have to make a decision,” mused Ronaldo recently. On hearing these word from the man himself, while not exactly surprised that retirement beckons for the the chunky striker, part of me just didn't want to accept it, especially given his current form. Four goals in five matches for Corinthans at 32 years of age should put him back in the national team � Dunga take note.

He recently pessimistically said “The only thing that is certain is that one day we will die. I am going to see out my current contract , think about it at the end of the year, and decide; play one more seaon, or end my career.” His love for football is clearly evident � having recently returned from a year out through injury, when most at his age would have simply had enough, shows he still wants to (and can physically) play at the top level for a few more years at least.

I'm sure I'm not the only person who would like to see Ronaldo take to the pitch in South Africa come 2010, even if it's a cameo role. The man seems to embody everything about the World Cup � his goals, his Brazillian flair, even his hair � it would be fitting to make his final bow from the beautiful game on football's main stage. Encore, encore, encore!

Posted by Alexander Prior on Friday, 17th April 2009

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