Ronaldo awarded golden boot

Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo was officially presented with the European Golden Shoe award on Friday.

The Portugal international achieved the prestigious honour by firing home 40 goals in Spain’s La Liga last term, thus scoring more times than any other player in the top division of a European league.

Ronaldo, who was handed the award by Portugal legend Eusebio and Real Madrid honorary president Alfredo Di Stefano, said that he would be happier to see his club side lift the biggest trophies in the game than to continue winning individual accolades.

“I would trade this award right now for the Champions League or La Liga,” Ronaldo said. “You can only win individual awards because the team help you.”

“I would like to win something bigger at a collective level. I do not think about breaking records, but about Real Madrid.”

“I think our team is more mature and with more trust, and we all have to think the same way to achieve an important goal.”

This was the second Golden Shoe award won by Ronaldo, who also scooped the honour in 2008 following a 31-goal haul at Manchester United.

“I am 26 years old, but I am still learning and I still have many years ahead,” Ronaldo said. “I am at a club who give me the possibility of winning things and my goal is to also be one of the best players of all time.”

Ronaldo, who scored his 100th goal in a Real shirt earlier this week, went on to stress he is not obsessed with outperforming Barcelona’s Lionel Messi.

“I am not worried about the competition I get from Messi,” he explained. “I like to play, people like to watch me play and I would not change anything.”

“It is good to compete with the best. I like to compete with Messi and with all the best players in Europe, as a team, not as an individual player.”