Ancelotti: 'Ronaldo bathed in ice at 3 o'clock in the morning'

Praising Cristiano Ronaldo's devotion to his craft, former Real Madrid gaffer Carlo Ancelotti conceded the Portuguese international would go to great lengths to achieve greatness.

"Cristiano Ronaldo bathed in ice at three o'clock in the morning, even if (ex-girlfriend) Irina (Shayk) was waiting for him at home," Ancelotti said.

Having managed Ronaldo for two seasons at the Bernabeu, few in the footballing world would know the intimate details of the club's all-time leading scorer's life like Ancelotti.

"He wasn't bothered about the money; he only wanted to be the best."

Together, the future Bayern Munich manager and Ronaldo pulled off a cup double in 2013-14, lifting the Champions League and Copa del Rey before the well-mannered Italian was sacked in May 2015.

The sentiments are reciprocal, and Ronaldo has expressed his fondness for Ancelotti in the past.

"He's like a big bear, I can say. He's a cute guy, such a sensitive person. He spoke with us every day. Not just with me but with all the players. He had fun with us," Ronaldo said in 2015.

La Liga's second all-time leading scorer and holder of dozens of club, league, and continental records, not the least of which is the standard for most goals in European competitions, 96, the 31-year-old attacker has been diligent in his pursuits.

Ancelotti would know as much, saying, "I can't go into details but I can tell you that it is incredible how he has always put his career before models and other issues."