Cristiano Ronaldo Admits Using 'Enemy' Fans as Motivation, Talks Ego and More

Opposing supporters may think twice about heckling Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo in the future after he confessed enemy attention merely motivates him to do better.

The three-time Ballon d'Or winner spoke to the Times' Matthew Syed, revealing the boos from the stands help him excel as a player and admitting the negative attention helps feed his ego (via the Telegraph):

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I am not the humblest person in the world, I admit that. I am not fake. But I like to learn. I don't mind people hating me, because it pushes me. When I go to play away they are always against me, but it's good.

You have to see the good things from the haters. I need the enemy. It is part of the business. They start screaming when I touch the ball. It had started already when I was 18 or 19. It is not a problem for me. It is a motivation.

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Constant contention for the title of world's best player has seen Ronaldo become accustomed to worldwide attention, regularly competing against Barcelona's Lionel Messi for the Ballon d'Or in recent years.

Between them, the pair have accounted for the past seven successive titles, but that stardom also comes with the inevitable ire from some sections of the opposition. Not every player can take that criticism on the chin and use it as ammunition to return even stronger, and Ronaldo's ego is what acts as a shield, allowing him to move past negativity and turn it in his favour.

Even 1998 Ballon d'Or winner-turned-Real Madrid Castilla coach Zinedine Zidane acknowledged Ronaldo as the best on the planet at present, according to Squawka:

The 30-year-old has 12 goals in 12 games this season and has led Los Blancos to the top of La Liga, level on points with Barca coming up to the first El Clasico derby of the 2015-16 campaign.

Barcelona fans perhaps hold resentment toward Ronaldo more so than any other as the leader of their fiercest foes, but Messi stated earlier this month their relationship is not a competition, per BBC's Oluwashina Okeleji:

Ronaldo has achieved the biggest feats of his career at the Bernabeu, but it was at Manchester United the Portugal captain truly exploded onto the European stage under the guidance of Sir Alex Ferguson. And he went on to give details of just how kind the retired manager was when his father, Jose Dinis Aveiro, fell ill while he was still at Old Trafford, per the Telegraph:

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When my daddy was dying, he was in a hospital in London, and it was not good. I said to [Sir Alex] Ferguson, 'Coach, I want to go. It was a crucial moment of the season. But Ferguson said: 'Football doesn't mean anything compared to your dad. If you want to go, go. I will always appreciate that.

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It's enamouring to see that amid the harsh words and spiteful gestures of those who would see his downfall, Ronaldo remains thankful to those who have shown him kindness on his rise to greatness.

There isn't any one solution to dealing with a player of his capability, but Ronaldo has sent out a statement to future victims, which reads: "Disturb at one's own peril."