Ronaldo says Spurs have 'grown incredibly'

Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo has spoken ahead of next weeks Champions League clash with Tottenham Hotspur and stressed that he and his teammates must be on their guard against a team which during his time at Manchester United were not a threat.

The Portuguese superstar is facing a race against time to be fit for the last sixteen showdown at the Bernabeu and insisted that complete focus was needed, despite talk in Spain of a potential semi-final with La Liga rivals Barcelona.

Speaking to Sport Magazine, Ronaldo spoke in glowing terms about Harry Redknapps side and their improvement in the last two years.

They have grown incredibly. They have a good manager whos good at motivating players. They have a lot of good players and a player like [Gareth] Bale has impressed everyone.

When I left Manchester United [in 2009], Tottenham wasnt a team playing at the top of the league. It wasnt them we were looking at, hoping they would lose points. But it has changed, and they have done great lately.

Looking back clashes at White Hart Lane while a Red Devil, the £80 million man continued:

I remember a great atmosphere like a lot of other stadiums in Great Britain, and that will help them. Theyw ere always a tough side to beat at home because you didnt know what to expect.

Now they fight a lot for each other to win as a team and we have a lot of respect for them. We all know that anything at this stage can happen. Its one of the biggest matches for both clubs in many years, so the atmosphere will be very intense in both matches.

Tottenham Hotspur tickets are available online

Popular Streams

Olympiakos v Arsenal live streaming FC Porto v Zenit St Petersburg live streaming Man City v Bayern Munich live streaming Dinamo Zagreb v Lyon live streaming