Early days: A young Cristiano wears his Sporting Lisbon shirt with pride. He grew up on the island of Madeira before signing for Sporting when he was 12. (All pictures from: Moments by Cristiano Ronaldo)

Getting into shape: The youngster made a name for himself at a young age, with Portugal's top clubs aware of his potential.

Family ties: Cristiano poses with his mother Matria, who remains a massive influence on him today.

Capital gains: After working his way up through the club's youth ranks, Ronaldo scored twice on his Sporting debut against Moreirense in 1999.

Turning point: Ronaldo was part of the Sporting team which took on Manchester United in a friendly in 2003. His performance clearly impressed United boss Sir Alex Ferguson who took the winger to Old Trafford for £12.24m later that summer.

Flying winger: Ronaldo made an instant impact on the Premier League with his tricky wing play and has become a firm favourite with the Old Trafford crowd.

The biggest stage: Ronaldo made his international debut in 2003 and has been a key player in the Portuguese side which made the final of Euro 2004 and semi-finals of the 2006 World Cup. He will be looking to go a step further this summer.

Bright future: With a Premier League and Champions League medal already won this year, Ronaldo will be looking to make it an amazing treble during Euro 2008.

Moments by Cristiano Ronaldo is published by PanMacmillan and is out now (£18.99).