After making the switch to Italian giants Juventus from Real Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo has thanked his teammate Juan Cuadrado for handing him the number seven jersey.
Juan Cuadrado was given the number seven shirt after making the loan switch from Chelsea back in 2015, a move which was later made permanent by Juventus. Ronaldo was handed the number seven shirt that has become synonymous with the Portuguese since his days at Manchester United, even earning the nickname “CR7”.
Ronaldo opened up about talking to the club and Cuadrado about the jersey, “Of course, it’s my favorite number, I spoke with the club in the beginning and I spoke with Cuadrado because he was number seven.” Ronaldo added “He said ‘For me, it’s not a problem. It will be a pleasure for me to give you my number seven, my shirt.’ I am surprised, in a good way because the club helped me and Cuadrado accepted very well. I am really glad to continue with my number seven.”
Cuadrado is now donning the number 16 jersey at Juventus. He is known for his direct style of play, including his pace (both on and off the ball) as well as his dribbling skills. He started off in a central midfield role, acting as a defensive midfielder early in his career, before being moved into wider positions in which he now usually plays, often operating as a right-sided winger, attacking midfielder, or wing-back.
Having begun his career at Independiente Medellín, Cuadrado moved to Italy in 2009 to join Udinese. Used sparingly at the club, he was loaned to Lecce for the 2011–12 season, where despite relegation from Serie A, his performances earned a transfer to Fiorentina. In February 2015, he was signed by Chelsea, but after playing sparingly, was loaned to Juventus, where he won the Serie A title and the Coppa Italia.
Cuadrado made his senior international debut in 2010, and has since earned over 60 caps. He was part of the Colombian squads which reached the quarter-finals at two Copa América tournaments and the 2014 FIFA World Cup, also contributing to his nation’s third-place finish at the Copa América Centenario.