Cristiano Ronaldo claims Portugal wonderkid Geovany Quenda was 'embarrassed' to meet him as he plays down 'father' role in Roberto Martinez's squad

At 17 years of age, Sporting forward Quenda has been selected by Roberto Martinez for the first time. He has limited senior experience to his name, but is considered to be a hot prospect – as he follows in the illustrious footsteps of Ronaldo with club and country.

A meteoric rise is taking some getting used to for the Guinea-Bissau born teenager, with Ronaldo telling reporters when asked if he is having to act as a father figure for young team-mates: “Many of them are embarrassed to talk to me! A little while ago I was going up to my room and I saw the new boy, 17 years old, Quenda. I went to him and said: 'So, have you recovered from the game?'. I saw that he was embarrassed. I don't say I'm a father, but an older brother. It could be a father to some and, as I said before, I've been through the same thing as them and the national team is a family. We're focusing on the Nations League, which is a fun competition and one that Portugal wants to win.”

Ronaldo will do his best to welcome all new arrivals into the Portugal camp, with the 39-year-old adding on a 21-year international cycle for him that shows no sign of stopping: “For me, this is a normal situation, obviously since I’ve been in the National Team – and it’s been quite a few years now – the integration of new players has been normal and they’re always well received. My role will always be the same, to help those who come in, but I think the older players in our team have done well and I look favourably on these experiences.”

Ronaldo has reached 212 caps for his country, registering a record-breaking haul of 130 goals along the way, and is expected to play on towards the next World Cup in 2026. Retirement is not in his thoughts for now, with there still plenty for the all-time great to achieve before hanging up his boots.