Cristiano Ronaldo has spoken about the tragic death of his son Angel and how the support of the Royal Family, rival fans and partner Georgina Rodriguez helped him make the difficult return to football.
The Portugal captain and partner Georgina Rodriguez, 28, tragically revealed that their newborn son, named Angel, had died during birth on April 18, but his twin daughter Bella survived.
It led to an outpouring of support from inside and outside the game and Liverpool fans sang on the seventh minute of their next game, ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone.’
He also received a letter from the Royal Family.
Ronaldo, in an interview with Piers Morgan on TalkTV, said: ‘I never ever expect that. Never. I have the opportunity now to say, all English community, thank you a lot for that, kind of that they held with me. Not only Liverpool, but all England.
‘I received a letter from The Queen’s family as well … And, surprised me a lot…
‘This is why I say, I respect a lot, the English community, English people, because they’ve been very kind with me. And in that difficult moment of my life… [the support] was spectacular.
Ronaldo and partner Georgina Rodriguez tragically revealed their newborn son had died during birth on April 13, and three months later his twin daughter was also hospitalised
Ronaldo revealed he keeps his son’s ashes close to his father’s in a chapel at his home
Ronaldo was speaking to Piers Morgan in a tell-all exclusive interview on TalkTV
‘The way they treat me, me and my family in that difficult moment, I should say straight to the camera thank you. Thank you, to the all English community that helped me in that moment.’
Ronaldo spoke about the harrowing moment of returning from the hospital with his partner Georgina to explain to his older children what had happened.
‘In the beginning, Gio are arriving home and the kids start to say where’s the other baby? Where’s the other baby?’ he told Morgan.
‘Of course Cristiano [his eldest son], I had a conversation with him in the day, because he’s 12 years old, he knows, understands everything, and I had a nice conversation with him. We cried together in his bedroom and explained and it’s kind of – he doesn’t understand, he does understand, but in same way he was a little bit confused.
‘The other ones in the beginning, on the table, the kids start to say: “Mom where is the other baby?”.
‘And in the beginning they start to say because, you know, she had a little bit of a belly because they had two, it’s a hard process. And after one week I say: “Let’s be up front and let’s be honest with the kids, let’s say that, Angel, which is the name, they go to the Heaven”.
Ronaldo (left) believes the grief of losing his son has brought the whole family closer together
‘It’s better to say in that way and we start to use that in that way. And the kids always understand, At the table they say: “Daddy I did this for Angel” and they point out for the, for the sky.
‘I like it the most because, you know it’s part of their lives and I am not gonna lie to my kids to say the true, which is it was a difficult process but in the same way, I become more more father, more friendly with them. They become more close to their Daddy especially me with the Georgina as well.’
Ronaldo revealed his partner Georgina Rodriguez had helped him make the difficult return to football after his son’s death.
He added: ‘I always have good support from my family. And Georgina told me: ‘Go, go to play, go and enjoy doing what you like to do. It’s going to help for you to forget a little bit, the situation”.
‘It was difficult, but at the same point that thing helps for you to, you know, to not think too much about that even though training was good.
‘But as you know, the football is going so fast and you know trainings, games, even the national team, the thing’s going so fast you don’t even have time to settle and say what’s going on, you know, because the things are going so fast. But it was good help, Georgina helped me a lot to give me that stability.
Georgina shares daughter Alana, three, with Cristiano, and the Manchester United star also has son Cristiano Jr, 11, and twins Eva and Mateo, four
‘We help each other. She (Georgina) struggled when she was young, so she’ll look at life with different eyes, even though she’s young, but she’s suffered.
‘She was born in Argentina, she has issues with her family as well, she lived alone. She has an interesting life and histories as well… And she helped me a lot.
‘She’s very mature for this age, we help each other sometimes when I’m a little bit down she pushes me up and I do it the other side. So we are a nice couple and we help each other so I’m really pleased that she’s on my side.’
Ronaldo said it was possible they would get married:
He said: ‘I’m not thinking now about that but I can see in the future I think I deserve, she deserves, but it’s something that’s not coming now in my plans but in the future is yes, I want.’
Georgina and Ronaldo famously met while she was working as a retail assistant in Madrid
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