Cristiano Ronaldo: I will return to full form sooner than expected

October 12, 2:06 PMNY Celebrity Fitness and Health ExaminerSamantha Chang

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Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo jogs as he
trains to recover from his recent ankle injury.
(AP Photo/Armando Franca)

Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo vows to return to full form sooner than expected following a recent ankle injury that may sideline him for another 3-4 weeks.

"I will work very hard to try to shorten the length of time I'm out, even though what's important is to recuperate perfectly so as not to return to having problems," Ronaldo, 24, told reporters Oct. 11.

Cristiano trained with his Real Madrid teammates Sunday after pulling out of Portugal's 3-0 World Cup qualifying win over Hungary on Saturday.

Ronaldo has had a terrific start with his new club, scoring 9 goals in 7 games. On Sept. 30, he suffered a severe ankle injury after scoring two goals in Real Madrid's 3-0 Champions League win over Olympique Marseille. The injury flared up again during Portugal's World Cup qualifier last weekend. 

Still, Cristiano--whom Madrid acquired from Manchester United for a record $131 million transfer fee--is confident he will return to form through hard work. "I'm calm because I know that with the desire I have to get better," he says. 

Ronaldo will miss Portugal's World Cup match against Malta on Oct. 14, and will likely also not play in Madrid's highly anticipated Champions League matches with AC Milan later this month.

Meanwhile, Cristiano has been named the new worldwide spokesmodel for Emporio Armani men's underwear and jeans.

The hunky, superfit 6'1" Ronaldo will begin appearing in a new worldwide ad campaign starting in spring 2010. Cristiano replaces L.A. Galaxy star David Beckham, who had been Armani's spokesman since January 2008. Beckham, 34, is currently developing his own line of men's underwear.

Cristiano, who has made no secret of his burning ambition to be the best footballer of all time, has a bright future ahead, said Sir Alex Ferguson, Ronaldo's former boss at Manchester United.

"His best is yet to come," said Ferguson. "He is only 24. He is better than Kaká and better than Messi. He is streets ahead of them all."

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