They say that it's a good thing to never forget where you come from, and Cristiano Ronaldo showed he hasn't forgotten which team gave him his first shot as a professional footballer.
The Portuguese ace, who stole headlines around the world with his stunning overhead goal against Juventus, paid a visit to his first professional club, Sporting CP, just hours before they face Atlético Madrid in the UEFA Europa League Quarter finals.
The Lions have never won a European tournament game in Spanish soil, and CR7's visit was meant to inspire some of his compatriots, former team-mates and rivals such as Fabio Coentrao and Jeremy Mathieu, respectively.
The team appreciated Cristiano's gesture and shared it on social media.
"Look who's here to give us a little extra strength for the game soon, Lion Cristiano!"
Vejam só quem nos veio dar uma força extra para o jogo de logo... Leão @Cristiano! #FeitodeSporting pic.twitter.com/7geCTp9a1g
— Sporting Clube de Portugal (@Sporting_CP) April 5, 2018
Some players didn't waste the chance to have their picture taken with the Portuguese striker.
"The best in the world"
Melhor do mundo pic.twitter.com/engKKAeCpd
— Luís Maximiano (@luismaximiano81) April 5, 2018
Match details, result and original broadcast info
This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
Follow the game on-the-go
Download our iOS and Android apps to follow soccer on-the-go. It comes packed with features - live scores, fixtures, results, tables, line-ups, stats, TV schedule and much more! Sorry, no live streaming within the app.