Cristiano Ronaldo maintains that his name with go down in football folklore as one of the greatest players of all time.
The three time Ballon d'Or winner returns to Real Madrid's starting XI for tonight's clash with Manchester City and says he has always felt like a special player.
"I don't doubt that I will go down in footballing history," Ronaldo told UEFA official website. "Whether people like it or not, the numbers speak for themselves.
"I will be up there with the rest. Some like it more, some like it less, but I have no doubt that I'm already in the history of football.
"I always felt that I was a special player, ever since I was starting out at Sporting. I felt that sooner or later I would be a top-level professional. I never thought it would come so fast, but I was preparing myself because, like I said, the talent was there.
"I've always worked hard, believed in my potential - in the academy at Sporting, at Manchester United and at Real Madrid as well - and I've developed more and more as a player, as a person, as a human being. I've enjoyed my work."
Ronaldo is the competition's record goalscorer on 93 goals, 10 clear of his nearest rival, Lionel Messi.
"It's a privilege to know that I'm the leading goalscorer of all time in the Champions League," he continued. "Obviously I feel very happy at having achieved that.
"It's a special competition and a competition that Real Madrid love. I've been lucky enough to win it twice and obviously I want to win it more - hopefully again this year.
"Fans love the Champions League and obviously I also love it, because it's a special competition."
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