The German midfielder has admitted that he was too "shy" to acknowledge the Portuguese superstar when he was still a youth-team player
Mehmet-Can Aydin has recalled an encounter with Cristiano Ronaldo during his early days at Schalke, revealing that he "was scared to ask" the ex-Real Madrid striker for a photo before a Champions League game.
Aydin joined Schalke's youth ranks as a 12-year-old back in 2014, at which time the German club's senior squad were regulars in the Champions League.
The German midfielder's first taste of Europe's elite competition came when he was allowed to attend a contest between Schalke and Real, who had Ronaldo on their books at the time, and he remembers being awestruck while in the presence of one of football's all-time greats.