Premier League favourite Peter Crouch has recalled the hilarious moment he once bumped into Brazilian legend Ronaldo Nazario on holiday in Ibiza.
Widely regarded as one of the deadliest striker’s on the planet, Ronaldo enjoyed spells with Barcelona, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and AC Milan before hanging up his boots in 2011.
The 43-year-old also notched a staggering 62 goals in 98 appearances for Brazil, helping his South American nation to two World Cup triumphs.
Despite his almost endless list of accomplishments, Ronaldo received continued abuse regarding his weight throughout his playing career.
His girth prompted a mixed relationship with the Real Madrid supporters, who felt the Brazilian frequently failed to pull his excessive weight, even though he ended his Galacticos spell with 83 goals in just 123 appearances.
Despite his reputation off the pitch as a man who knew no limits, and who would drink, eat and smoke in excess, he was admired by his peers as perhaps the greatest ever finisher the game has seen.
Peter Crouch reiterated his adoration for Ronaldo whilst taking part in a Q & A in his weekly Daily Mail column and even labelled ‘Il Fenomeno’ as his dream teammate.
Responding to a question regarding who his dream strike partner would be, the former England ace replied: “That is so difficult!
“Dennis Bergkamp was special and it would have been incredible to play alongside him, but my overwhelming choice would be the original Ronaldo.
“I’m not sure our styles would have matched each other, but 90 minutes with him would have made my life.”
He added: “I met him once, actually I was on holiday in Ibiza and I saw him on the beach. He was busy getting through bottles of beer and had an ashtray balanced on his stomach.
“Every time he finished his drink, the supermodel who was with him brought him another.
“The chance to have a picture with him was too good to turn down, so I went over. I hoped he was going to say: ‘Oh, you’re Crouch!’ But he didn’t have a clue who I was.
“The picture was taken and off I went with him oblivious to the fact I was a footballer.
Few can argue with Crouchy on this one, Ronaldo is a true legend of the game, a marksmen in front of goal whose scoring record is on par with the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Away from football, ‘Il Femeneno’ is a keen poker player and a thriving member of the PokerStars roster. He partakes in charity matches across the globe and has even taken on tennis legend Rafael Nadal at Texas Hold’em.