Rangers new boy Fabio Silva on learning from Ronaldo, chance meeting with Gers hero & moment Ibrox left him speechless
CRISTIANO RONALDO has spent his career setting records.
But it's the example he sets away from football that truly inspires Fabio Silva.
The new Rangers loan star grew up idolising his fellow Portuguese ace.
As well as scoring a staggering 873 goals in more than 1,200 professional appearances, Ronaldo has won a remarkable 33 major titles.
A year shy of his 40th birthday and he's still driven by the desire to be the best.
Silva revealed: "Of course, Cristiano Ronaldo was someone I always looked up to.
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"Since I was a kid I have tried to find an example not only inside the pitch but outside.
"It's his perspective outside of football, the way with age he tries to win everything.
"When I look at his games, the hunger he has to score is something special, for me it is the best example I can take.
"In football, and life, if you stop or are not trying to be better than yesterday, with the quality of young players now the other ones will go past you and you stay behind.
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"That's why I use the Ronaldo example.
"He always tries to be the No 1, be better than yesterday. After that things happened naturally.
"The same for myself. I don't stop, I try to be better than yesterday for myself and do the things that come naturally."
Like his hero Ronaldo, Silva will wear the No 7 jersey following his move to Ibrox.
While criticised by some Wolves fans, the 21-year-old was undoubtedly a hit on loan at Anderlect and PSV Eindhoven.
And, while the short-term switch to Glasgow represents the next chapter in his career, Silva last night insisted: "I don't need to prove anything to anyone else.
"I need to prove it to myself and that's the most important thing every day.
"With all the clubs I've played for, I've tried to give my best.
"Last season was amazing for me in Belgium and Holland. The results are there, the numbers are there so everyone can see it.
"But I don't need to prove anything to anyone.
"For me the most important thing is to work every single day to be better than I was the day before.
"I'll just focus on myself because the most important thing is to prove to my family and friends. I don't need to prove it to other people."
Celtic, Porto and PSV were also strongly linked with Portuguese ace Silva in this transfer window.
But he opted instead for Rangers - becoming Philippe Clement's first signing for the club. And last night he lifted the lid on the talks that sold him on a move to Ibrox.
Silva said: "I'm a player who likes to feel the confidence from the staff and the players.
"And of course the coach was really key in me coming here.
"The conversation I had with him was very nice and it impressed me a lot the way he wanted me here in the team, the way he plays, the way he wants me to improve.
"So for me this was very important.
"I had other options to go elsewhere but here, when I spoke with the coach and the other people around the club, I felt a connection, something special which convinced me to come here.
"Everyone knows I had a lot of chances to go to other clubs on loan too. But I'm an ambitious player, I want to compete for titles and to win things.
"This is the goal for myself and that's why I came to Rangers, because it's a big club, a historic club.
"I always like to go to a club that is historic, that has good fans.
"I've already had the chance to play at the stadium and the atmosphere is amazing. So that was the attraction for me."
Silva made his debut at home against Kilmarnock on January 2, and is likely to face Hertha Berlin in a closed-door friendly later today.
He relished the opportunity to make his Ibrox debut before the winter break - four years after lining up against Gers for Porto.
Goals from Alfredo Morelos and Steven Davis helped Steven Gerrard's side to a stunning 2-0 win in the Europa League that night.
Silva recalled: "The memories for me are not so good because we lost that game - but I do remember that the environment at Ibrox is something special.
"When I found out that Rangers was an option for me, I told my family that when I played here with Porto, the atmosphere was crazy.
"I came on as a substitute in that game.
"It was good because after that I started to play a little but more for Porto.
"I remember meeting James Tavernier after that game because we had to do the doping control after the match.
"I don't remember what we said to each other so much.
"That game was, what, four or five years ago?
"But of course, Tav is an amazing player. He scores so many from right-back. He is a legend.
"Morelos stands out too. He was on fire that night."
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*Fabio Silva was speaking to promote Rangers' friendly with Copenhagen at Ibrox on Tuesday. Tickets start from just £1 and can be purchased at rangers.co.uk.
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