Hearts loan keeper Joel Pereira will be part-inspired by Cristiano Ronaldo in his attempt to shut out Alfredo Morelos and Jermain Defoe at Tynecastle today.
Juventus star Ronaldo reached a career landmark last Monday when scoring his 700th goal for Portugal in their defeat to Ukraine.
It is a feat which only five players – Pele, Puskas, Romario, Gerd Muller and Josef Biscan – have accomplished, and one which his countryman Pereira, who is on the books of Ronaldo’s former club Manchester United, argues is something to celebrate.
“Ronaldo is a role model for every footballer. Even as a goalkeeper, I still see him as an example,” said the 23-year-old shot-stopper.
“As a Portuguese, he is a hero to all of us. I’ve grown up watching him and I have been lucky enough to meet him twice.
“The first was at Manchester United after a game, just for a photo. Then we met in the national set-up when the Under-21 team travelled together with the senior side.
“His records don’t just show how good he is but also just how hard he has worked.
“He has just reached 700 goals, which is just phenomenal. If you look at his stats, you need to score 20 goals for 35 seasons to reach 700. It is almost impossible.
“You would need to start playing at 17 and finish at 52 years old! So the numbers speak for themselves.
“We all know how good he is.
“When he went to Manchester United as a young player, no one knew if he would become a big star. But that is when hard work really kicks in.
“I will need that same mentality if I am going to make it at Manchester United, definitely.
“I am someone who also likes to work hard, and it is important to stay focused on what you want to achieve.
“Right now, my focus is on Hearts and tomorrow I want to do better than today.
“I hope I can grow from here. After a year, hopefully after a great season, it will then be time to think about going back to Manchester again.
“From there, we’ll see what happens. I have an extra year and another option. So I have an extra two after this year.
“I will always dream I can get there. To be at a big club, you need to have big hopes and a positive mentality.
“If you don’t think positive of yourself, you will have zero chance to make it.
“I have always been someone who is really positive and always believed in myself. That’s why I’m still at Manchester United. I hope that I can be there for many more years.
“But, for now, I just want to give my best for Hearts and help the team.”
Pereira, who has also had loan spells in both Belgium and Portugal, says his twin aims are very much connected.
Show up well in a high-profile game like today and the United staff with the responsibility of monitoring the progress of the club’s loan players will take note.
“Everybody should be excited about today. It is a great game and it is live on television. If I can do well in it, it will be amazing,” he said.
“Rangers are a big club, and it is always great to play against big clubs. I am sure the atmosphere will be good, too. It is games like these that you look for when you come on loan.
“Their strikers are doing very well. But hopefully we will be able to stop them.
“Although the results have not been as we would have wished, we have a good team spirit and I think all of us know that with our quality we can do a lot better than what we are doing now.
“The most important thing is we stick together and work hard. Hopefully we will get some good results to get through this period together.”
Enjoy the convenience of having The Sunday Post delivered as a digital ePaper straight to your smartphone, tablet or computer.
Subscribe for only £5.49 a month and enjoy all the benefits of the printed paper as a digital replica.
Subscribe