Cristiano Ronaldo gave one of the most revealing interviews of his career with Piers Morgan recently.

Broadcast for the first time on Tuesday evening, it saw the sporting icon discuss everything from his favourite ever goal, family life, challenging upbringing and even his late father.

In a conversation which even saw the 34-year-old shed a tear, Ronaldo came away from it with wide-spread praise for laying all of his emotions bear.

Say what you like about Ronaldo on the pitch and call him a lesser player than Lionel Messi if you like, but there can be no doubting his selflessness, generosity and philanthropy.

And in celebration of that under-appreciated side of Ronaldo, The Sun have decided to compile 18 stories from his life and career that demonstrate his unquestionable class.

1. His European Golden Boot

Ronaldo decided to sell the goal-scoring prize he collected in 2011 for charity, raising a stunning £1.2million that went towards building new schools in war-torn Gaza.

2. The Ballon d'Or

Another trophy that, instead of being sentimental about, Ronaldo saw the opportunity to make a difference with. He made £530,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation by putting it up for sale.

3. An ambassador

The 34-year-old holds the position of an ambassador for three major charities: Save the Children, Unicef and World Vision. 

4. Win bonuses

Ronaldo gave away the €100,000 he earned for making the 2013 Uefa Team of the Year to the Red Cross, while passing on a £450,000 La Decima bonus to three charities just 12 months later.

5. Blood and bones

"We can all make a difference by donating blood." These are the words of Ronaldo himself who continues to donate blood and bone marrow to make a difference for those in need.

6. Multi-million pound relief

It's reported that Ronaldo made a humongous £5 million donate to Save the Children's disaster relief fund after the major earthquake in Nepal in 2015.  

7. Helping a cancer centre

Ronaldo's mother, Dolores Aveiro, survived breast cancer in 2007 and the Portuguese decided to thank the care centre by adding £120,000 to their funds.

8. Invitation to an orphan

Real Madrid fan Haidar, who lost both his parents to a suicide bomber, got the chance to meet Ronaldo after a local reporter put him in contact with the Spanish giants.

9. Helping a young fan

Ronaldo organised to meet, dedicated a goal to and paid for the medication of Nuhuzet Guillen after hearing about his fight with terminal cancer. Sadly, Nuhuzet passed away in 2013.

10. Generous with his time

Often the target of selfie-hunting pitch invaders, Ronaldo has been seen protecting fans from security and also taking the time to give away his shirt or sign autographs for other supporters.

11. Helping another young fan

After hearing about the story of ten-month-old Erik Ortiz Cruz, who was suffering from cortical dysplasia, Ronaldo funded his £55,000 brain surgery to stop his seizures.

12. Broken arm

The then Real Madrid forward gave 11-year-old Charlie Silverwood a signed shirt after accidentally breaking his arm with a wayward shot during a pre-season friendly at Bournemouth.

13. Best friend ever

How do you reward your closest mate? Well, if your name is Ronaldo, the answer is buying a £40 million Greek island and no doubt Jorge Mendes will have been pretty chuffed.

14. Invitation for Fernando

Fernando Ricksen, who sadly passed away this week, was invited to a Champions League match by Ronaldo in 2016 after his fight with motor neurone disease became public.

15. Super team-mate

Not only did Real Madrid players enjoy a winning bonus after La Decima, but they also received a personalised Bulgari watch worth £5,000 each from Ronaldo himself.

16. Looking after big brother

Ronaldo has been integral in getting his older brother Hugo Aveiro back on the right path after his battle with alcohol and drugs, even dedicating the La Decima victory to him and his efforts.

17. Giving a massive tip to hotel staff... twice

The Portuguese is a massive fan of luxury Costa Navarino resort in southern Greece, leaving an eye-watering tip of £20,000 for staff in 2018 and 2019.

18. Looking out for those who looked out for him

The most recent one comes from the aforementioned Morgan interview where Ronaldo, always keen to highlight unsung heroes, paid credit to McDonald's ladies who gave him free lunches.