... I have to be myself ...

...I'm not going to stop
trying to beat defenders in England. I have to be myself.
Just because a referee doesn't give a free-kick
or chooses not to send off
someone who deserves it, doesn't mean I should become
Just because a referee another player.

Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo has stressed that he is not going to change his style of play fearing hard tackles from defenders in the English game.

The 22-year-old Portuguese international has mesmerised the opponents with his exotic skills and has often drawn fouls from the rivals.

"In Portugal the football is quite different, more technical," he told Manchester United Opus.

"People want to play football. Here it's more physical, more confrontational. People just tackle you hard if you try to play football.

"But I'm not going to stop trying to beat defenders in England. I have to be myself. Just because a referee doesn't give a free-kick or chooses not to send off someone who deserves it, doesn't mean I should become another player.

"But the referees here always tend to favour defenders, because they get to tackle a lot without getting a yellow card. It's very difficult for a defender in England to get sent off by collecting two yellow cards."

Ronaldo has however changed his attitude after being accused of diving earlier in his career.

"I remember in the first year I was criticised for going to the floor too easily. That was an area of my game I had to change quite fast. It was, perhaps, the biggest lesson I've learned in England. It's a different type of game in Portugal."

"If you want to be one of the best players in the world, which I want to, you have to learn all the time. Another thing I have to do is finish better and get more goals. If you are a good scorer people see you in a different dimension. In a couple of years, if I'm scoring more, people will think more of me."

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