This Ronaldo finds it all a piece of Madeira cake

PORTUGAL coach Luiz Felipe Scolari was heading to the team bus (slogan: Boldness and Emotion: Come on Portugal) after the semi-final win over Holland, as he clocked the players still talking to the press in the mixed zone. There was Luis Figo, captain and man of the match; Maniche was there, whose fantastic swerving shot won the game; and also there was Cristiano Ronaldo, who began the tournament on the bench but will start tonight’s final as Portugal’s joint top-scorer.

"The progress he has made since he has been at Manchester United and in 30 days with the national team has been spectacular," Scolari said. "He is coming of age. Already he is good enough to play at any level and achieve whatever he wants if he continues to work hard."

Figo, standing just yards from the player earmarked as his successor, agreed: "A lot of people thought he was too young for the jump and he was destined for a place on the bench. But he has shown that is not the case and has taken advantage of his opportunities."

Ronaldo’s first appearance in the tournament was as a substitute against tonight’s opponents Greece, whose defenders he had in a flap before heading a late consolation goal from a corner. Portugal lost 2-1 but Ronaldo had done enough to keep his place in the side. He then starred in the win over Russia, did even better against Spain, before an epic battle with England’s Ashley Cole in the quarter-final.

The game went to penalties. Cole scored, and so did Ronaldo. "God was with us during the penalty shoot-out with England," he said. "The way the people got behind us inside and out of the stadium was marvellous. But over 90 minutes I thought we were the better team."

Ronaldo then scored in the 2-1 win over Holland, again with a header from a corner. "It’s a great feeling to score a goal in a semi-final and it filled me with joy. The Dutch were tough rivals but Portugal were worthy winners again," he said. The scouts had obviously not been doing their homework: Ronaldo scored a header from a corner in the FA Cup final for Manchester United in May. "I’ve got a few goals and I’d like to score more for United but they’ll come.

"I just need to relax in front of goal. People have had a word with me and I know that sometimes I must be more direct. It’s a balance.

"There are times when I have to dribble and other occasions when it’s best to be more straightforward. You pick it up with experience. Let the ball go here, or dribble there."

Ronaldo has enchanted Portugal with his modesty and form this month. Sporting Lisbon fans remember him as the less talented of two wingers, along with Ricardo Quaresma, who graduated from the Academia de Futebol at the same time two years ago. Quaresma moved to Barcelona last season but hardly played.

"The Sporting academy is excellent," Ronaldo said. "Not only do they prepare you on the pitch but they also make sure you are a person who can integrate with all aspects of the game. The place was very important in my development and taught me a lot. It was an important part of my life." Other graduates include Hugo Viana, Luis Boa Morte, and Figo.

Ronaldo was six when he started playing for a local street team in Madeira called Andorinha (meaning Swallow). Ronaldo signed for Nacional - along with Maritimo, one of two big teams in Madeira - when he was seven, because his godfather, who was an administrator at the Portuguese football federation, supported them. When Ronaldo was ten, Maritimo tried to buy him for 250, despite his habit of fighting with team-mates who did not pass to him. He was 11 when he moved to Lisbon and joined Sporting. He first trained with the Sporting senior team when he was 15 and his first competitive game was a year later, a league match against Moreierense in which he scored two goals.

On August 6, 2003, Manchester United played Sporting in the Estádio José Alvalade’s first match. Sporting won 3-1 and Ronaldo was unstoppable. United defenders suggested that coach Sir Alex Ferguson buy the winger. Within three weeks, Ronaldo had joined United for £12.2m.

He was Portugal’s most expensive teenager but Ferguson had no doubts. "He can’t half cross a ball, his free-kicks are incredible because he hits them with so much pace, and he’s murder to defend against," he said. "Of course there is still a lot to work on. He is still learning and it’s easy to forget he’s only still 19 and 19-year-olds will never have that consistency. But he is strong mentally, the lad is tough, don’t worry about that."

It is this mental strength that has impressed insiders at United. Some team-mates have admitted they feel sick after seeing Ronaldo’s bruised shins following a routine Premiership game. His early reputation as a diver was unfair: Ronaldo keeps on getting fouled but always gets up again. "When you get fouled, there’s no point in talking to the referee or to the other players," he said. "I don’t look to put other people in trouble. You have to get up and do what you need to do to get back into the game. I like to think I’m quite strong mentally. It is a part of my character and is something that comes from me, from the inside."

His relationship with Ferguson helped him settle at the club. "I think Ferguson is protecting me in the same way [as he did with Ryan Giggs]," he told Manchester United’s official magazine last season. "I’m a lot more aware of my image now. United are a side with a massive worldwide following."

And Portugal are now benefiting from Ferguson’s decision to give Ronaldo a winter break last December. "He gave me that option while I was new here and I was thankful," Ronaldo said. "I went back to Madeira and had two weeks off. I was happy to see my family. Of course I miss Portugal, especially Madeira. It’s always good to return to your roots."

Ronaldo played more United games last season than any other new outfield signing. Already he thinks Ferguson has helped him improve key elements of his game: crossing, heading, awareness of team-mates. "To adapt you have to get experience by playing more. I would like to play the whole time and I think I could be out there every week although logically I know that’s unrealistic. Next season will be even better and over the years I hope I can improve. First we have the final against Greece, which we know will be a very tough game. We have been preparing for the final and are ready to give our best."

The last time Scolari coached a national team to a major final, the team was Brazil, the final was in the 2002 World Cup and the top scorer was a striker called Ronaldo. The similarities don’t end there: "This boy has the same ambition and desire as Brazil’s Ronaldo had when he was the same age - and look at him now," Scolari said. "They are different players with different styles but Cristiano has that technical ability and speed."

For the record, the Brazilian Ronaldo scored two goals in that World Cup final win two years ago. No pressure, then.