Debolicious

[Chino @ChinoUTD]

🚨 Rio Ferdinand on Cristiano Ronaldo’s mentality after becoming one of Manchester United’s highest-paid players:

“People talk about Cristiano’s wages at Manchester United. I remember what happened when the money started getting serious.

Most young players get a big contract and you notice changes.

New car. New clothes. Suddenly they’re arriving at training looking like they’ve completed football.

With Cristiano, it was different.

I once asked him, ‘Ronnie, you’ve got your new deal. What are you still trying to prove?’

‘Rio, they are paying me more money now.’

‘Yeah, that’s generally how a new contract works.’

‘So I have to become a better player.’

I laughed because I thought he was joking.

He wasn’t.

You know what’s funny? For somebody earning that much, Cristiano never seemed particularly interested in enjoying it.

Of course he had nice things. But sometimes I thought, ‘Ronnie, who exactly do you owe money?’

Because he trained like somebody was coming to collect a debt.

And the only acceptable repayment was becoming the best footballer in the world.

I remember training sessions when everybody was heading inside.

Cristiano would still be practising.

‘Ronnie, you’ve beaten that poor defender fifteen times. Let him go home.’

‘One more, Rio.’

And you knew what that meant.

Another twenty minutes.

He could score twice on Saturday and arrive on Monday annoyed about a missed chance.

Wayne would say, ‘Mate, we won.’

‘I know.’

‘You scored twice.’

‘I know.’

‘So what’s the problem?’

‘I should have scored three.’

I wondered whether something was wrong with him.

Normal people achieve something, enjoy it, and eventually relax.

Cristiano achieved something and immediately behaved like he’d fallen behind.

Sir Alex understood him. You couldn’t develop that boy by asking him to become ordinary.

I watched him go from a young winger doing stepovers to deciding the biggest matches in Europe.

In 2008, we won the Premier League and Champions League. Cristiano scored 42 goals.

Forty-two.

You’d think he’d say, ‘Right, I’ve done it.’

Not Cristiano.

He wanted the Ballon d’Or. Then another. Then to win everything again.

I don’t criticise footballers for earning enormous salaries.

But getting paid like a superstar and performing like one aren’t the same.

With Cristiano, the contract never became the achievement.

It became another reason to work.

🗣️ Ian Wright: ‘So Ronaldo justified every penny Manchester United paid him?’

🗣️ Rio:

‘Every penny?’

I’d have loved to hear the club’s accountants negotiating with him.

‘Cristiano, we’re increasing your wages.’

‘Good.’

‘Anything else?’

‘Yes. I want to win the Champions League.’

‘Cristiano, we’re discussing your contract.’

‘And I’m discussing why you should pay me.’

That’s how his mind worked.

People underestimate how unusual that mentality is.

You’re young, famous and wealthy. Nobody’s forcing you to practise free kicks when you could be doing almost anything else.

Cristiano kept choosing football.

Again and again.

So when people dismiss his achievements, I struggle to understand it.

You don’t have to believe he’s the greatest ever. But appreciate what it takes to remain that obsessed when you have every reason to relax.

Some footballers sign huge contracts and spend years reminding everybody how much they’re worth.

Cristiano spent those years making sure nobody could question it.

At United, we didn’t respect him because of what he earned.

We respected what he did to earn it.

That’s why I laugh when somebody says money changed Cristiano Ronaldo.

Of course it changed his life.

But the more he earned, the more he behaved like he owed somebody.

And looking at his career, I think he’s finally paid that debt.”

[CLEAN CAR CLUB @TheCleanCarClub]

Useful tip everyone who drives a car should know

[Rilwan @Real1_balogun]

“For a long time, I was a guest in our house”

Thierry Henry speaks from his soul. He has depth. He’s a man in touch with himself. I recall some years ago, he spoke about how much he wanted to please his father on @StevenBartlett Diary of a CEO podcast. Everything he aimed to achieve was to please the voice that rang in his head, telling him to do it better. His father stood behind him while he built a career, probably saw the good many never saw.

As a father, he also mentioned how COVID-19 changed his life. It was the point he chose his family. That was probably why he said at some point, he became a guest in his house.

Men become guests in their house.

There was a Reminisce Alaga interview I saw. I think it was on @ISWISPodcast. He said there was a point he went into his daughter(s) room and asked when they painted the wall pink. His wife told him it’s been there for two years. He said that was the point he thought it important to rest on the tours and be with his children. At that point, he probably was a guest in his house.

Men’s lives are not easy. Footballers especially — elite footballers most especially are like tour musicians. They’re often on the road. You’re playing away games round the country, spending three days or more away from home when you have continental away games.

Gabriel Jesus spoke about the same thing in his recent interview with @PlayersTribune titled “A Letter to My Family and my Arsenal Family”. He said football made him distant but his ACL injury brought him closer.

“I wasn’t the husband and father that I needed to be,” he said.

When his wife gave birth to his daughter, he said he only held her for one day. Brazil called and he had to go. And he was a guy who grew up without a father. For his child at the time, he was there now but wasn’t there too.

“I always promised myself: When I become a father, I will always be there for my kids. 

“When Helena was born, I was not living up to that. I was there, but I was always distracted, you know? Always catching a flight.”

That’s the tough decisions men have to make sometimes.

At the point of growth and ascent, life will ask questions, and difficult decisions will need to be made. Hopefully, it will be one that won’t damage the future. The future one is securing.

[Gina Acosta @ginacostag_]

NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang’s best career advice:

“Passion isn’t enough, you’ve got to endure.”

[The Sigma Mindset @thesigmamindset]

Here's how you know someone is jealous of you ‼️‼️

[𖣂Prince𖣂 @OS3992]

Men's mental awareness month

It’s okay to be vulnerable.

I don’t care if you’re a man or a woman—you’re human. You’ve got a heart, and it wasn’t built to hold in all that pain.

Let it out. Cry if you need to. Scream if you have to. Just don’t bottle it up, because it’ll eat you alive from the inside.

Take care of your mind. Take care of your soul. Nobody else will do it for you.

You matter.

88/252

[The Figen @TheFigen_]

OMG 🤣🤣

[Gontse Chauke 📝 @_BlackZA]

I know someone cheaper went wrong 😭😭🤣

[Alternative MUFC. @AlternativeMUFC]

Yeah, this is absolutely magnificent.

Goosebumps on goosebumps.

[Privilege MUFC 🇾🇪 @privilege_mufc]

Take note @Sanchooo10
https://t.co/FginqhVXqX

[Thomas Coxhead @iamcoxhead]

25 years ago today…

My Dad snuck a video camera into the Nou Camp and (imo) took the greatest fan footage of all-time…

I still can’t believe he captured both goals that won us the treble. #MUFC ⚽️❤️

[FRANK @callmeh_bf_no2]

Not the big toe😂🤣

[Hauwa 🌟🌬 @Hauwa_L]

Oh God!!!

[CHECK YOUR DM @DrightSauce]

Why do they do this to newly imported cars ? I’m curious

[Living Hope 💜 @NkhosiLa]

Dear @elonmusk would you kindly get me at least a one year supply of this life changing medication just so that I am able to see myself turning 30 next year, just one year to get myself feeling healthy, this would change my life for at least a year, please and thank🫣🫣

[𝗔𝗟𝗕𝗨𝗠 𝗧𝗔𝗟𝗞𝗦 📀 @AlbumTalksHQ]

BATTLE OF SOWETO ⚔️

Rema or Omah Lay — Who had the best verse??🤔