Clubs: Sporting Clube de Portugal, Manchester United FC, Real Madrid CF

UEFA honours
UEFA EURO 2004: runner-up
UEFA EURO 2004: All-Star Squad
UEFA Champions League: winner 2008, runner-up 2009
UEFA Champions League: leading scorer 2007/08
UEFA Club Footballer of the Year: 2008
UEFA Club Forward of the Year: 2008
UEFA.com users' Team of the Year: 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011

• Born in Funchal, Madeira, he joined Sporting after a successful trial and scored twice on his league debut; was whisked away to Old Trafford at 18 after impressing United players in a pre-season friendly to inaugurate Sporting's new stadium.

• Won the FA Cup in his first season with United, scoring the opening goal in a 3-0 defeat of Millwall FC, and came to the fore for Portugal at UEFA EURO 2004, scoring his first international goal in the opening loss to Greece and excelling thereafter, winning a place in UEFA's All-Star Squad.

• Scored seven goals in 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifying and helped Portugal reach the semi-finals; returned to England and enjoyed a brilliant 2006/07 campaign, winning the league with United and both player and footballer of the year prizes as well as the young player gong (only Andy Gray had done likewise in 1977).

• Retained both those personal accolades in 2007/08 thanks to a phenomenal scoring run: top marksman in both Premier League (31 goals) and UEFA Champions League (eight), both of which United won.

• The 2008 UEFA Club Footballer of the Year, Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year, he helped United to another domestic title in 2009 but lost the UEFA Champions League final to FC Barcelona in his last game for the Red Devils.

• Signed a six-year contract with Madrid in June 2009 after a world record €92m move and in his second season picked up the ESM Golden Shoe, registering a record 40 Liga goals in 34 games, and headed the winner in the Copa del Rey final against Barcelona.