On signing for Dutch giants PSV in the summer of 1994, Ronaldo was not only becoming the world's most expensive teenager but was also following in the footsteps of Brazil's previous generation striking genius. Romário had played in Eindhoven for five seasons until the year before Ronnie's arrival, and had scored 127 goals and won three league titles.
Little did the 18-year-old know, but Ronaldo would soon enough be moving on to replace Romário at Barcelona, too.
Settling in to live in Holland immediately, Ronaldo scored on his Dutch league debut against Vitesse Arnhem and followed with two goals against Go Ahead Eagles three days later. By mid-autumn he began to catch fire, scoring braces against MVV and Feyenoord as PSV chased their first championship since 1992. Partnered by the experienced Luc Nilis, and with supply coming from the likes of Bolo Zenden and Arthur Numan, he couldn't stop scoring, registering 30 goals in just 33 league games.
His first European hat-trick came against Bayer Leverkusen in a UEFA Cup match, and he comfortably finished the Eredivisie's top scorer, 12 goals clear of Ajax's Patrick Kluivert. Sadly for Big Ron, this was the year Ajax's all-conquering team, including Litmanen, the de Boers, Davids, and Seedorf, swept all before them. PSV trailed the Amsterdammers (who also lifted the UEFA Champions League) by 14 points.
Despite his amazing first season, he was little used by national coach Mario Zagallo, who used him in only one game in the 1995 Copa América. But the start of the new season in Europe meant more goals for PSV, as the maturing 19-year-old drilled in 12 goals in his first 13 league games, and a brace for his country in a friendly against Uruguay in Salvador.
Tragically, that brilliant burst of form was to be his last for a while, as he was struck down by a serious knee injury that kept him out of action for six months.
With the 1996 Atlanta Olympics approaching, Zagallo was keen to have his main prospect available for the one major tournament Brazil had not, and still have not, won. Ronaldo was raced back into action, featuring in two end-of-season friendly matches before heading off to the US for the Olympics.
His young frame recovered well from his injury. He scored five times in six appearances as Brazil (only) won the bronze medal. However, the seeds for his later injury troubles had already been sown.
With such a phenomenal record to his name already, he was set for one of Europe's biggest clubs. Eventually Barcelona won a protracted battle for Ronaldo's signature, and a £ 12million fee took him to the Catalan capital, again making him the most expensive teenager ever, as he was still not quite 20.
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