As Cristiano Ronaldo shielded his eyes from the blinding explosion of flashbulbs it was clear the Manchester United winger’s transition from pride of Old Trafford to global phenomenon was complete.
After a magnificent season in which his dazzling array of feints and flicks bewitched defenders and fans in equal measure, Ronaldo has become one of the game’s new icons.
The 22-year-old’s brilliant form was instrumental in United winning their first Premiership title for four years and he was rightly showered with plaudits and awards.
But now he faces a challenge that will define his career.
Every move he made during United’s recent pre-season tour of Asia was followed by legions of fans and photographers desperate to catch a glimpse of him.
So much attention would sit uneasily for many. At best it could be seen as an unwanted but necessary evil, but it would be no surprise if sudden elevation to such a rarified celebrity status had a more corrosive effect.
Temptations
The road to football’s pantheon of greats is littered with tales of stars who fell by the wayside after succumbing to the temptations that can so easily corrupt a young talent.
Ronaldo only has to look back at his predecessors in the United number seven shirt to see how easy it is to be distracted by the bright lights.
George Best lost his passion for the game far too young and Sir Alex Ferguson gave up on David Beckham after becoming convinced he was spending more time working on his image than his free-kicks.
Happily for Ferguson, his latest prodigy shows signs that his feet will remain firmly on the ground despite the hype declaring him the best player on the planet.
“How players manage to handle that celeb-kind of attention we will never know,” Ferguson said. “But with Ronaldo he seems to do OK. He seems to be fine and does not seem to be overwhelmed or overly flattered by it.”