Viral video of Ronaldo's free-kicks in first season at Real Madrid shows just how good he was

Cristiano Ronaldo’s signature knuckleball free kicks truly were a sight to behold in the earlier stages of his career.

‘CR7’ was brilliant in his first spell at Manchester United. So much so that he won the Ballon D’or in 2008 whilst still playing for the Red Devils. Over his time with the club, he developed into a player that had everything, quick feet, athleticism, was strong in the air, and significantly for this article, a vicious free-kick.

However, it was at Real Madrid where he really went to the next level and entered the greatest of all-time conversation. His impact in the Spanish capital following his £80 million move was instantaneous.

Forty-four goal involvements in his first 35 games, the lofty price tag was quickly justified. Yet, it wasn’t just the number of goals but the calibre of them which was grabbing the attention of Madridistas.

His iconic knuckle ball style free-kick made him the next in a long line of dead ball specialists that had graced the Santiago Bernabeu before him, of which the likes of Roberto Carlos, Zinedine Zidane and David Beckham quickly spring to mind.

And Ronaldo certainly did not disappoint when it came to living up to expectations, as shown in a video shared by Twitter user ‘@laligafrauds’…

Cristiano Ronaldo scored these outrageous free kicks during his FIRST season at Real Madrid!