A Lesson About Mindset from Cristiano Ronaldo

These past few weeks, months and perhaps even years, the topic of Wayne Rooney and his fitness has been a constant point of discussion and debate. People have asked if he is just ‘naturally’ bigger and more prone to piling on the pounds when injured or away from football or is it simply his lack of work and dedication to being as fit as he can be? Some believe that he is physically mature and 'peaked' in his early 20's. 

Only Rooney knows the truth of the matter, yet for United and Moyes it is a significant issue when considering  the player and his suitability for the modern game and whether to keep or release him. This article will look at the reason as to why Rooney did not become the player he could have been and why it was his old teammate and friend Cristiano Ronaldo who went on to become the world's most 'complete' player.

We all know the saying, “he had all the talent in the world but…” Ah, there’s always a but, an excuse for why people never accomplish what they could have. Was it luck, injury, opportunity or was it down to mentality and mindset? The mental part of the game is the key distinguishing feature of what makes the good great and what separates those who ‘make it’ and those don’t. Greatness therefore is all about mindset. This brings us nicely to the issue of Rooney and Ronaldo.

United's two young talents

In 2002 the world of football had been introduced to the brightest young talent in world football. Wayne Rooney’s goal against Arsenal signified that something, or someone very special had arrived. Rooney appeared destined for great things. 

At that point players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi were not even on the radar in terms of being regarded as bright young talent. Rooney looked like football’s future, the best player of his generation. 

A move to a big club appeared destined and Alex Ferguson made sure after missing out on previous talent in Gascoigne and Shearer that he would not let this one slip away. The Euro’s in 2004 had proven his ability to do it on the big stage too and Rooney would now be the centrepiece of United’s future.

It was perhaps not surprising that Rooney was bought considering what Cristiano Ronaldo had produced that previous season. Bought for £12m in the summer of 2003 to replace Beckham after United had missed out on Ronaldinho and Robben it proved to be a tall order for the young Portuguese winger. United appeared a step too far. The ‘lollipops’ were at times cringeworthy and most often ineffective, it just seemed that Ferguson had found a dud. Rooney's would be United's future.

And yet between 2004-2006 a change occurred. Ronaldo began to improve, grow and mature as a player. His skills were becoming frightening for defenders because he was becoming more effective. His shots, which earlier on were frustratingly wide far too often were now finding their target with ruthless precision. 

And his physique, well the man became an athlete, as Gary Neville said he returned one summer looking like a ‘light heavyweight boxer'. When Ronaldo had arrived at United he was a raw and scraggly teenager yet by 2006 he was looking like a world beater. 

It was no surprise that success for United was forthcoming, three league titles in a row between 2006-2009 and back to back Champions League finals highlighted the quality of this United side. The vocal point, the key player was not Rooney but Ronaldo. In 2004 this would not have seemed probable at all, yet by 2009 Ronaldo had become arguably the world’s best player.

A lesson in mindset and hard work

So what happened? Why did Rooney not progress along the same lines as Ronaldo? He clearly had the talent and ability, probably more than Ronaldo at first, yet it was clear that one of these men was more determined, more focused and more willing to make himself great. 

Yes Rooney was playing well yet he was not excelling to the levels of Ronaldo, he was not enhancing his strength or speed like Ronaldo was. The difference was in each others mindset.

This blog has spoken before about setbacks and the desire to‘prove people wrong’ and this applies to the case of Rooney and Ronaldo. If we take Rooney first we see a player who was always dominant on the football pitch and excelled there. He believed in his ‘talent’ and was probably lauded for his ‘natural ability’ throughout his teen years. His progression to senior football was probably ‘expected’ by him as football became ‘easy’ to him. 

Now this happens in many instances across schools and sports; a young child is complimented for their ‘natural talent’ and tasks come easier to them than others. Unfortunately what this produces is often a person who does not value hard work. By this I mean obsessing and training with deep learning and practice. Could it be that Rooney did not think he needed to train to improve with the intensity required to become great?

This is what I believe happened with Rooney and Ronaldo. One found it all too easy and didn’t seek to improve further because he didn’t think he needed to whereas the other came through those early years of struggle (if you remember Ronaldo was taunted and ridiculed by media and fans for the first few years at United) and he set out to prove them wrong. He ultimately became the best for it. Ronaldo’s mindset to work harder than anyone else produced the player we see today. 

A need to prove others wrong?

The case of Ronaldo points to a difference in approach to Rooney; he clearly felt that he needed to train more in order to improve and perhaps felt second best to Rooney and therefore sought to push himself harder to improve. Ultimately all the extra work, the obsession to improve made him a better player. All those extra sessions on the pitch or in the gym, all the personal coaching sessions took Ronaldo's game to a new level and as we saw over time it took him to the world's best player.

It is amazing to see  the personification of Ronaldo as a selfish and egotistical player; the truth is that he is perhaps the hardest working player in world football. A player who is an example to kids all over the world and proof that hard work brings success. It was all about hard work, obsession to train and improve with the single-minded belief in his mind of being the best. 

Now of course Ronaldo has played second to Lionel Messi for several years which has clearly frustrated him yet it has made him work harder and want to achieve more. The potential in this player is frightening still.

And what about Rooney? Well the one who found it easy doesn’t work as hard because they don’t think they have to, of course they still get by and do well and for a player with this mindset perhaps they feel that is sufficient. Extra work and intense fitness drills are not required. 

And this is where we are with Rooney now. He is regarded as too slow, too rigid and ‘past it’ in the modern game whereas Ronaldo is considered the most ‘complete’ player in the world. Ronaldo's value could be £100m whereas Rooney is worth about £35m. 

Both players were afforded the same opportunities at United yet it was Ronaldo who seized that chance to become the best. Like many have commented, he was the best trainer they have seen at the club and like many cases like that the coaches and management invest more time and effort into a player who wants to excel because they know that that kind of player will make the team successful and profitable  As Ronaldo proved. 

Wasted talent due to the wrong mindset

As for Rooney, well his ‘natural talent’ and fixed mindset has produced  a player who doesn’t appear to enjoy being second or not being loved. Instead of having the mentality to work harder and prove those around him wrong he has sulked and requested a move. 

My impression of him is that he has never experienced a proper setback in his whole career like last season where Van Persie became the golden boy and he was put to the bench. It is petulance from a player who has perhaps never really experienced this before and does not know how to deal with it. 

It's clear that working harder to improve and force his way back into the team hasn’t crossed his mind, a feeling of entitlement is evident instead. A mentality which unfortunately far too many English players appear to possess. 

If we consider young players which we work with, do we as coaches and parents give too much to our players that we never let them experience setbacks or disappointment and because of this do we not prepare our young children adequately for inevitable knocks? The need to promote hard work over ‘natural’ talent is clear and more coaches and parents should consider the environment they are creating for their children. 

Ronaldo’s story proves that setbacks can be a great catalyst for greatness if the correct mindset is in place, that which realises “if I wish to get better, I need to work much harder.” As Ronaldo proves, the growth mindset could be the most important tool for developing future players as much as anything else. 

The Whitehouse Address @The_W_Address

Want to read more about youth development, coaching and mindset? Then purchase your copy of the new book from the writer of The Whitehouse Address "The Way Forward: Solutions to England's Football Failings" 

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