Villarreal midfielder Nicola Sansone has revealed how he moved to La Liga so he could play against his “idol” Cristiano Ronaldo.
Sansone started his career with Bayern Munich and spent eight years in their youth ranks, before he was offloaded to Parma where he spent three years.
A loan spell at Crotone was then followed up with a permanent switch to Sassuolo, where he made a name for himself as one of Italy’s finest talents.
The 25-year-old Munich-born star then opted to pack up shop and join The Yellow Submarine in the summer, where he has since shone for the high-flying Spanish outfit.
One of Villarreal’s standout performances this season was when they earned a point at the Santiago Bernabeu and it was a game which saw Sansone face his idol Ronaldo.
“One of the reasons I decided to come to Spain was to play against my idol Cristiano Ronaldo,” Sansone told Corriere dello Sport.
“When I shook his hand, I was smiling like a child.
“I asked for his shirt, but he was annoyed by the draw. He told me he would give it to me next time.”
Sansone, who scored 20 goals in 84 games for Sassuolo during his two years there, has scored five goals in 11 league games this season – the highest of any player at Villarreal.
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