Rony

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Rony (罗尼)
Alias(es)	Cristiano Ronaldo; “Little Little Ronaldo” / “Mini-Ronaldo” 61 100
Species/Race	Human; Portuguese with Cape Verdean ancestry through his paternal grandmother 4
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Sporting Lisbon youth academy, B team, and first team; later Manchester United and Real Madrid 4 41 61 527 994
Occupation/Role	Professional footballer; winger/attacker 588 663
Status	Active 994
First Appearance	Chapter 2: “We're Rich!”

Background

Rony grew up in Falcao Village on Madeira Island in a severely impoverished family. His father returned from Portugal’s war in Africa with trauma and developed alcoholism; his mother raised four children amid the family’s financial hardship. Rony’s older brother later became addicted to drugs, while his siblings gave up education or pursued uncertain ambitions. Rony came to see football as the means to change all of their lives. 20 22

His father gave him his first football and, despite alcoholism, reliably took him to and from training at Nacional and watched from outside the fence. Rony’s ambition includes earning enough to buy his mother a home in Madeira’s tourist district, help his brother open a painting company, and finance his second sister’s music career. 22

He began at Andorinha at age nine. After Marítimo failed to take his negotiations seriously, he joined Nacional before eventually entering Sporting Lisbon’s youth academy. 19 Rony initially lacked an exceptional physique, but transformed himself through relentless gym work; within two years, his speed and strength could match defenders such as José Semedo. 5

Appearance

Rony is a dark-skinned Portuguese teenager of roughly Su Dong’s age and height when they first meet. His African heritage is noticeable in his complexion, and his warm smile and neat white teeth are repeatedly remarked upon. 2

• Carefully styles his hair and clothing when going out. 44
• Frequently wears cologne, despite disliking Semedo’s excessive use of it. 4 44
• Develops a notably stronger physique through dedicated gym and core-strength training. 5 527
• Is considered handsome and attracts attention from girls and the media. 10 44

Personality

Rony is fiercely proud, competitive, and unable to accept being inferior to anyone. His stated aim is to become the best player in the world and surpass Su Dong; this rivalry is a major source of his motivation. 193 He believes football rewards effort rather than raw talent alone, having risen from an unremarkable youth player through obsessive training. 10 11

His confidence can become impatience. Early first-team assessments criticize his selfishness, desire to show off, and tendency to force individual plays; he also misses chances by shooting recklessly or dribbling with his head down. 40 43 122 However, he remains willing to confront setbacks, demand opportunities, and train until he improves. 51 193

Behind his bravado, Rony is deeply insecure and protective of his vulnerabilities. Su Dong describes his vanity and childish pride as a shell built from a lack of safety and security. He usually hides pain behind a strong front, revealing his true fears only to family and Su Dong. 269 479 994

Abilities & Skills

Dribbling and Ball Control

Rony’s close control immediately distinguishes him from ordinary youth players. His first touch can kill difficult passes instantly, and he uses body feints, changes of pace, and direct carries to challenge defenders one-on-one. 2 115

• Creates attacking chances through flashy individual dribbles. 51 88
• Uses feints to open passing lanes when a defender refuses to commit. 115
• His tendency to over-dribble can cause him to miss better-positioned teammates. 122
• At the highest levels, his ball control and ability to escape tight pressure are less reliable than his pace-based game. 663

Pace, Explosiveness, and Physicality

Rony’s defining athletic strengths are speed, explosive acceleration, and a physique developed through years of strength work. His African ancestry and fast-twitch muscle fibers are cited as natural advantages, but he continuously supplements them with intensive physical training. 96 527 897

• Can surge past defenders at full speed and force fouls when a clean stop is impossible. 308 986
• Became significantly stronger after joining Manchester United under fitness coach Mike Clegg. 193 527
• His speed and explosive power make him especially dangerous when given space to run. 663
• Initially struggled with the Premier League’s physical demands and was considered too slight by Ferguson. 179

Wing Play and Shooting

Rony is most effective as a wide attacker rather than a central forward. His role changes by flank: on the right he makes runs, crosses, and attacks space behind the defense; on the left he cuts inside to shoot from the edge of the area. 588 663

• Forms rapid counterattacks and combination plays with Su Dong. 41 70 169
• Possesses powerful shooting but was initially inconsistent and prone to forcing low-percentage attempts. 41 43
• Develops into Manchester United’s “trump card,” with improved shooting and an inverted-winger style that is difficult to defend. 527
• Is less suited to center forward, where opponents deny him the space needed to exploit his pace. 663

Training Discipline

Rony is a training fanatic who treats self-improvement as non-negotiable. Semedo recalls him remaining in the gym past 2 a.m. until security removed him. 4 5

• Sought Lionel Pontes’s help and prepared specialized drills to correct Su Dong’s flawed technique after knowing him for only one day. 4
• Kept Pontes updated on Su Dong’s progress and adjusted training plans accordingly. 5
• Asked Mike Clegg for increasingly demanding gym programs upon arriving at Manchester United. 193
• Pursued yoga training with Su Dong to improve flexibility, balance, and injury prevention. 93

Career

Sporting Lisbon

Rony meets Su Dong at Edward VII Park, where their initial one-on-one contests become a daily training partnership and friendly rivalry. Although Rony overwhelms Su Dong technically at first, he recognizes Su Dong’s determination and helps him adopt Pontes’s corrective training regimen. 2 4 5

At Sporting, Rony rises from being mocked for claiming he would surpass Ricardo Quaresma and Edgar Marcelino to becoming one of the youth academy’s three leading talents. 10 He changes representation from José Veiga to Jorge Mendes after Veiga ignores his attempts to renegotiate his contract and secure money for his father’s treatment. Mendes then obtains Sporting’s promise that Rony will train with the first team during the winter break and appear during the season’s second half. 22 27

Rony and Su Dong make their Sporting Lisbon B debut together against Chaves, displaying exceptional mutual understanding despite Rony missing clear chances. 41 He later reaches Sporting’s first-team 18-man squad, an achievement that leaves him visibly overwhelmed despite his long campaign for an opportunity. 61

Manchester United

Rony joins Manchester United at eighteen, determined to become a starter and the world’s best player. He initially receives limited minutes and criticism for playing too flamboyantly, holding the ball too long, and failing to conform to the Premier League’s direct physical style. 193 214 215

Ferguson’s attempts to reshape his game, Rooney’s rise within the squad, and public criticism leave Rony frustrated and insecure. Nevertheless, he works to adapt his style and physicality rather than abandoning his ambition. 387 388

After the World Cup red-card controversy involving Rooney, Rony becomes the target of severe media and fan backlash. He hides at Su Dong’s Barcelona home, changes his phone number, and considers leaving Manchester United. Following a meeting with Ferguson and the club leadership—who promise stronger public support and player protection—he returns to Manchester. 479 480

His development culminates in Manchester United winning the Champions League final against Liverpool, with Rony scoring the decisive goal. 527

Later Career

Rony remains Su Dong’s friend and rival through repeated elite-level encounters. Before the Bayern Munich–Manchester United Champions League final, he openly intends to defeat Su Dong and targets Bayern’s flank, while Su Dong warns his defenders that Rony’s physical development has made him far more dangerous than in their Sporting days. 588

By the time of Real Madrid’s Champions League elimination against Manchester City, Rony is playing for Real Madrid. Though disappointed, he maintains his proud façade, joking with Su Dong and Pepe while insisting that Manchester City should win the competition so Real Madrid can at least have lost to the eventual champions. 994

Relationships

• Su Dong — Best friend, training partner, and strongest career rival. Rony helped train Su Dong from their first meeting; Su Dong later loaned him money for his father’s treatment and supported him through his Manchester United crisis. 4 22 480
• José Semedo — Sporting youth teammate and roommate. Their shared Cape Verdean heritage initially created a natural bond, though Semedo is far less disciplined than Rony. 4 5
• Lionel Pontes — Former youth coach and adviser. Rony consults him about designing drills for Su Dong and remains in contact about training adjustments. 4 5
• Jorge Mendes — Agent who replaces José Veiga and negotiates Rony’s route toward Sporting’s first team. 27
• José Veiga — Former agent whom Rony leaves after feeling neglected during his family’s financial emergency. 22 27
• Jordana — Former girlfriend and Jardel’s younger sister. Their relationship begins after she pursues him at a team party, but ends when Rony moves to England and she remains in Portugal. 44 45 179
• Jardel — Jordana’s protective older brother. After confronting Rony over the relationship, he gives Rony and Su Dong special shooting training. 45
• Pepe — Initially an opponent who angers Rony with a dangerous challenge; later becomes a training partner and one of his closest long-term friends. 73 92 994
• Sir Alex Ferguson — Manchester United manager who challenges Rony’s style and later personally seeks reconciliation during the post-World Cup backlash. 215 479 480
• Wayne Rooney — Manchester United teammate and internal rival whose prominence leaves Rony feeling overshadowed. 387 423
• Ricardo Quaresma — Early Sporting Lisbon rival whom Rony is determined to surpass. 11

Notable Quotes

“I want to become the best player in the world, you have to help me!” 193

“If you can do it, I can definitely do it too!” 334

“You’re ahead of me, and Messi and Kaka are chasing from behind. Tell me, why is my life so hard?” 594

Trivia

• Rony’s first name matches Brazilian striker Ronaldo’s, leading others to call him “Little Little Ronaldo” or “Mini-Ronaldo”—labels he dislikes. 100
• He once stayed in a gym until after 2 a.m. before security forced him to leave. 4 5
• He bought his family a Sony PlayStation partly to give his brother something to do and help keep him away from drugs. 19 20
• He eventually fulfills key family ambitions by buying his mother a villa and car, helping his brother open a paint shop, and planning to fund his sister’s album. 269 334
• He hopes that his and Su Dong’s future children can become teammates, since the two were unable to remain teammates throughout their own careers. 941