WATCH - Cristiano Ronaldo jokes he could follow Rio Ferdinand into boxing

Callum Davis
© Telegraph Media Group Limited

Cristiano Ronaldo reunited with his former Manchester United teammate Rio Ferdinand to reflect on his meteoric rise from a shy 18-year-old at Manchester United, to one of the world's best players.

Ronaldo invited Ferdinand to his Madrid home for an exclusive interview to mark the release of his new Nike Mercurial boots.

Ferdinand, who has recently announced his ambition to become a professional boxer, started off by asking the four-time Ballon d'Or winner why he decided to join Real Madrid.

"I just thought in my mind I want to go there to show my level, to show that I'm a different player and that's what I did," said Ronaldo, who has won three Champions League titles since leaving Manchester United.

"I arrived and I had a fantastic first season and then I have improved every season," he added.

Ronaldo, who is also Real Madrid's all-time record goalscorer, was linked with a summer move back to Manchester United before deciding to stay at the Bernabeu.

"I will never forget the Red Devils. I learnt to be better and better, being around the best players in the world."

Asked where he saw himself in ten years time, Ronaldo joked he could follow his former teammate into boxing.

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"10 years? No, in 10 years it will be tough. Maybe I will be a boxer like you!

"The most important thing is to win trophies. We work 10, 11 months and if you win nothing you feel empty and I like to win trophies - as a collective and as an individual, because I work hard for that.

"Outside the pitch, it's to have my family and my friends and to try be the most happy person in the world."

Ronaldo is currently the all-time top goalscorer in Champions League history, but has so far failed to score a single goal in La Liga this season.

"It is not that [Ronaldo] is tired, just the opposite. He was out for a lot of games," said Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane.

"We are a bit disappointed for him as he has not yet scored in La Liga, but this is football. His assist for Isco was phenomenal. I hope things change in the next game."