Cristiano Ronaldo has come a long way from that slightly gawky 18-year-old who performed almost as many dives as step-overs, and whose final product was somewhat lacking.
He has come a long way, too, from that hate figure for English football, vilified for his part in Wayne Rooney's sending-off during the 2006 World Cup.
Now, quite simply, Ronaldo is recognised as the best player in the world.
And now his career is set for another chapter.
The 24-year-old's world record £80million move to Real Madrid from Manchester United was rubber-stamped last night with the player having agreed a six-year contract with the Spanish giants.
The second 'galacticos' era under Florentino Perez kicked off earlier this month with the signing of Brazil playmaker Kaka, and now Real have sealed another massive coup.
So what will Madrid be getting for their money?
He has it all - proficient with either foot, tremendous speed, brilliant dribbling ability, a vicious shot, a free-kick style that he alone has mastered, a goal-poacher's nose, a powerful physique and strength in the air, which was highlighted by heading home the opening goal in last year's Champions League final.
He even manages that little bit of luck all great players seem to have - his penalty miss in the Moscow shoot-out against Chelsea will largely be forgotten as his team-mates got him out of trouble.
Does he have a weakness? Not even his temperament any more, as the occasional tantrums that sometimes surfaced in the past now appear under control.
Ronaldo, in fact, is as close as you can get to the complete footballer.
The story of his discovery by United is the stuff of legend now.
Sir Alex Ferguson had already been alerted to the 18-year-old's promise by his assistant Carlos Queiroz when United were invited to play Sporting Lisbon in a friendly to inaugurate their new stadium in August 2003.
Sporting won 3-0, and the United players were so impressed by the Portuguese teenager they implored Ferguson to sign him. Within a week, he had done so, for £12.24million - an astonishing sum for such a young player untested in the Premier League.
"In the dressing room after the match the lads were talking about him constantly," said Ferguson.
"On the plane back home from the game they urged me to sign him - that's how highly they rated him.
He was one of the most exciting young players I had ever seen."
Ferguson had to move quickly because by that time Queiroz was at Real Madrid and was trying to persuade his sporting director there, Jorge Valdano, to move for Ronaldo, but United swooped first.
Born on the island of Madeira, Ronaldo began his career with FC Andorinha, who turned down an offer of just £175 from Maritimo for an offer of two seasons' worth of kit and equipment from Nacional.
His move to Sporting was equally low key - as part-exchange instead of cash when a defender called Franco moved the other way.
Ronaldo did not settle in well on the mainland, though, and was expelled from his first school.
"When I arrived at Lisbon, the teacher was making fun of my Madeira accent. I didn't like it and I threw a chair at her," he confessed later.
Sporting agreed the precocious talent could concentrate on football and, on August 15, 2001, he was handed his senior debut as a 16-year-old.
Once at United, taking over the number seven shirt that had belonged to David Beckham was no small task, and initially there were some doubts about his tendency to over-elaborate, not to mention his propensity to dive.
Ferguson worked on both weaknesses, and soon they were ironed out - even if opposition fans still believe the way he sometimes collapses under a challenge is over-dramatic.
Any lingering doubts were dispelled by the 2004 FA Cup final, when he dazzled during United's 3-0 win over Millwall.
After the World Cup three years ago, there were serious doubts whether he would return to United or join Real Madrid, such was the public loathing following the England v Portugal match.
It was partly thanks to Rooney, who made it clear there were no hard feelings on his part, that Ronaldo was rehabilitated.
And, although the Portuguese forward came in for some grief from opposing fans, soon they realised that actually they were being given an opportunity to witness true footballing genius.
He scored 23 goals in 2006-07, and as importantly was credited with 20 'assists', and won both major Footballer of the Year prizes.
In the 2007-08 season, he almost doubled his goals tally - an astonishing achievement - although his assists' total was around a third of the previous figure, which was perhaps an indication he was being played in a more direct role by Ferguson.
Once again, he was the only real candidate for both domestic gongs.
After missing the start of the 2008-09 campaign through injury, he went on to bag another 26 goals in all competitions to help United retain their league title and reach the Champions League final for a second year in succession.
In December he picked up the Ballon d'Or and in January added the 2008 FIFA World Player of the Year accolade to his personal haul - official recognition that he is the best footballer on the planet.
CRISTIANO RONALDO FACTFILE
1985: Born February 5 in Funchal on the Portuguese island of Madeira.
2002: Makes his debut for Sporting Lisbon in the Portuguese Super Liga at the age of 17 after winning international caps for Portugal's youth sides.
2003: August 6 - Scores in pre-season friendly against Manchester United.
August 8 - Completes a £12.24million transfer to United, taking the number seven shirt following the sale of then England captain David Beckham to RealMadrid.
August 16 - Makes his debut as a second-half substitute in opening-day 4-0 win over Bolton at Old Trafford.
August 20 - Plays for Portugal's full national side in 1-0 win over Kazakhstan.
November 1 - Scores his first goal for United in the 3-0 victory over Portsmouth at Old Trafford.
2004: May 22 - Dazzles in United's 3-0 FA Cup final victory over Millwall.
June 24 - Scores in the shoot-out as Portugal knock England out of the European Championships 6-5 on penalties.
July 4 - Plays in Euro 2004 final, which Portugal lose 1-0 to Greece.
2005 October 19 - Arrested and questioned by police after an allegation of rape at a London hotel is made against him. Ronaldo asserts his innocence. No charges are brought.
November 18 - Agrees two-year extension to his United contract, keeping him at the club until 2010.
2006: July 1 Protests to referee Horacio Elizondo after United team-mate Wayne Rooney clashes with Ricardo Carvalho in the World Cup quarter-final between Portugal and England. Rooney is sent off and television pictures catch Ronaldo winking towards the bench. Scores the winning penalty in the shoot-out to knock out England.
July 8 - After losing the third-place play-off to Germany, Ronaldo reveals he wants to leave United. Admits he would like a move to Spain, having been linked with Real Madrid.
July 7 - United stress there is "no possibility" Ronaldo will be sold.
2007: February 6 - Named captain of the Portugal team for a friendly against Brazil a day after his 22nd birthday.
April 13 - Agrees new five-year deal with Red Devils.
April 22 - Voted both the PFA Player and Young Player of the Year - the first player to land the double award since Andy Gray in 1977.
May - Voted Footballer of the Year by the Football Writers' Association as United win the Premier League title.
December 17 - Finishes third in FIFA World Player of the Year voting, behind winner Kaka and Lionel Messi.
2008: March 19 - Scores twice in a 2-0 win over Bolton - taking his tally for
2007-08 to 33 - to beat George Best's 40-year-old club record for goals scored by a winger in a single season.
April 27 - Voted PFA Player of the Year for the second year running.
May 5 - United claim Premier League title with win at Wigan.
May 14 - Real Madrid claim they have the funds to purchase Ronaldo.
May 21 - Heads United in front in Champions League final against Chelsea in Moscow. The game goes to penalties and, despite Ronaldo missing his kick, United win the shoot-out. Ends the season with 42 goals.
May 22 - Real Madrid coach Bernd Schuster says he believes Ronaldo will play for the Spanish club at some point in his career.
June 2 - Ronaldo is reported to have told Brazilian website Terra that he wants to join Madrid, if they can meet United's asking price.
June 6 - United report Madrid to FIFA over their pursuit of Ronaldo.
June 19 - Unable to prevent Portugal being dumped out of Euro 2008 as Luiz Felipe Scolari's team lose 3-2 to Germany in the quarter-finals.
July 7 - Ronaldo undergoes surgery on his injured ankle in Amsterdam.
August 8 - Tells Portuguese newspaper Publico he will remain with Manchester
United "for at least another year".
August 17 - Makes his return from injury as a 62nd-minute substitute in a home goalless draw with Villarreal in the Champions League.
November 15 - Scores 100th goal for Manchester United with the first of a brace against Stoke.
November 30 - Sent off for two yellow cards in the Manchester derby, the second caution coming after a bizarre handball incident.
December 2 - Wins the prestigious Ballon d'Or, convincingly seeing off competition from second-placed Messi and Liverpool's Fernando Torres, in third.
2009: January 8 - Escapes uninjured after writing off his Ferrari sports car by crashing into a roadside barrier under a tunnel near Manchester Airport on his way to training.
January 12 - Named FIFA World Player of the Year at gala ceremony in Zurich.
May 16 - Helps United win Premier League title with 0-0 draw against Arsenal.
May 27 - Unable to prevent United losing 2-0 to Barcelona in the Champions League final in Rome.
June 11 - United accept a world-record £80million bid from Real Madrid.
June 26 - United and Real confirm they have finalised an agreement for the transfer of Ronaldo. The player has agreed a six-year contract with Madrid.
FIVE MEGA DEALS
Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Real Madrid from Manchester United was finalised tonight with the Portuguese officially joining the Spanish giants on July 1 for a world record transfer fee of £80million.Here, we look at five other record-breaking deals.
1 Kaka, £56million from AC Milan to Real Madrid 2009
Just three days before Real revealed they had an agreement to sign Ronaldo, they made their first major purchase of the summer following Florentino Perez's return as president with the capture of brilliant Brazilian Kaka. The midfielder had rejected a move to Manchester City in January - for nearly double the fee - but the bumper pay day for cash-strapped Milan sealed the deal this time.
2 Zinedine Zidane, £46.7million, Juventus to Real Madrid 2001
Following the controversial arrival of Luis Figo in the Spanish capital a year before, Perez continued his now-infamous 'galacticos' project with the capture of the then FIFA World Player of the Year Zinedine Zidane from Italian giants Juventus for a world record fee.
3 Luis Figo, £37million, Barcelona to Real Madrid 2000
Perez was elected Real president in the summer of 2000 on the back of his promise to do the unthinkable and bring the star player from arch-rivals Barcelona to the Bernabeu. Upon appointment he was true to his word, breaking the world transfer record by signing Figo for £37million.
4 Hernan Crespo, £35.7million Parma to Lazio 2000
In the summer of 2000, Sven-Goran Eriksson's Lazio were Serie A champions and flush with cash following the sale of Christian Vieri to Inter Milan a year before for a then world-record fee. They spent £35.7million of their money on Parma's Hernan Crespo, who finished top scorer in the league in his first season in Rome but was unable to help the club defend their Scudetto and also left for Inter in 2002.
5 Robinho, £32.5million, Real Madrid to Manchester City 2008
Having been taken over by the super-rich Abu Dhabi United Group on the final day of the 2008 summer transfer window, the new owners of Manchester City made a signal of their intent by beating Chelsea to the signing of unsettled Brazilian star Robinho from Real Madrid in a Premier League record deal worth £32.5million.
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