Even big stars can be amazed when they face true legends. Chelsea midfielder Romeo Lavia admitted that the most memorable moment in his career was playing against Cristiano Ronaldo.
Lavia, who moved to Chelsea from Southampton last season amidst interest from Liverpool, has already participated in major Premier League matches and debuted for the Belgian national team. However, he still considers playing against Ronaldo as his career highlight.
Lavia recalled Southampton’s 1-0 defeat to Manchester United in the 2022/23 season. He described his awe when Ronaldo came on as a substitute in the second half.
In an interview with Rising Ballers, he shared: “I think playing against Cristiano Ronaldo is probably the highlight of my career. Definitely.”
“I remember that moment like it was yesterday. When he entered the field, time seemed to stop.”
“I stopped focusing on the game and just watched him for about two minutes.”
He added, “In those two minutes, I thought about all the goals I had seen him score on TV, all the times I had watched his videos on YouTube, everything he had won.”
“I was just amazed, you know? I was thrilled.”
Lavia and Ronaldo were on the pitch together for only 29 minutes, but it was enough for Lavia to be starstruck by the legendary Ballon d’Or winner.
Unfortunately, Lavia couldn’t get Ronaldo’s shirt after the match because Ronaldo had already promised it to another Southampton player.
“I tried to swap shirts, but I think he had already promised it to another player. So, unfortunately, I didn’t get it,” he explained.
Now, Lavia is focused on building his own legacy in football, despite the pressure of his £58 million transfer fee.
The former Manchester City academy player has faced injury setbacks at Chelsea. Ankle and hamstring issues limited him to just one league appearance last season. This season, he has also been struggling with another hamstring problem, making only 10 league appearances.
