CARDIFF -- Cristiano Ronaldo was a goofy teenager, a kid prone to too many tricks and dribbles when he lifted the first trophy of his career as a Manchester United player in Cardiff in 2004. Thirteen years on, he left the Welsh capital with his superstar status embossed in gold after inspiring Real Madrid to their 12th European Cup: la dodecima.
Ronaldo was just 19 back in 2004, when his header in the 44th minute of the FA Cup Final against Millwall set United on course for a 3-0 victory at the Millennium Stadium. But he was still a bit-part player, overshadowed on that occasion by the likes of Roy Keane, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Ruud van Nistelrooy, who scored twice that day.