Cristiano Ronaldo: 'I will never be a striker'

Cristiano Ronaldo has insisted that he is "never going to be a striker", despite suggestions that the Portuguese will be moved into a more central position as he enters the latter stages of his career at Real Madrid.

The attacker began his professional career at Sporting Lisbon as a flying winger, and although he no longer operates in purely a wide area, the 32-year-old has not been turned into a natural centre-forward.

Ronaldo has managed 527 goals in the professional game, however, and the Portugal international has revealed that he will never develop into a specialist striker as he enjoys starting from a wide position.

"People think I'm a striker. I'm never going to be a striker. I've scored nearly 600 goals playing in the position I do," he told La Sexta.

"It depends on the tactics the coach uses. I like to play with more freedom; when we play 4-4-2 I like it more. But that's not to say I don't like to play in a 4-3-3 because I do other movements and take up different positions.

"Of course I like to play more freely because it's a position in which I also play for Portugal, but obviously I also like the 4-3-3."

Ronaldo managed 40 goals in 45 appearances for Real Madrid during the 2016-17 campaign.