Cristiano Ronaldo wrote an article for 'The Players' Tribune' -- a media platform that publishes first-person stories directly from athletes and presents direct reflections, thoughts and experiences. Here Real Madrid's all-time top-scorer and Portugal captain writes about how he began playing football, his aspirations and mostly, about family. The excerpts are below:

There is a strong memory I have from when I was 7 years old. It is so clear to me that I can picture it right now, and it makes me feel warm. It has to do with my family.

I had just started playing real football. Before, I was just playing in the streets of Madeira with my friends. I don't mean an empty road. I really mean a street. We didn't have goals and we had to stop the game whenever cars would drive by. I was happy doing that, but my father was the kitman for CF Andorinha -- and he kept encouraging me to go and play for the youth team. I knew it would make him really proud, so I went.

The first day, there were a lot of rules that I didn't understand, but I loved it. I got addicted to the structure and the feeling of winning. My father was on the sidelines every match with his big beard, but my mother and my sisters had no interest in football.

So every night at dinner, my father tried to recruit them to come see me play. It was like he was my first agent. But they didn't really get excited, you know? So what could I do? I just kept scoring and scoring.

I would look to the sidelines every match and see my dad standing there alone. Then one day -- I will never forget this image -- I was warming up and looked over and I saw my mom and sisters sitting together. They looked cozy. They looked like they had never been to a match before. But they were there. That's all I cared about.

I felt so good in that moment. It was like something switched inside of me. I was really proud. At that time, we didn't have much money. But when you're a kid, you don't care about money. You care about a certain feeling. And on that day, this feeling, it was very strong. I felt protected and loved.

Football gave me everything, but it also took me far away from home before I was really ready. When I was 11 years old, I moved to the academy at Sporting Lisbon.

It's crazy for me to think about now. My son, Cristiano Jr, is 7 years old. And I think about how I would feel, sending him away in four years. It seems impossible. And I'm sure it seemed impossible for my parents.

Over the past eight years, I have achieved incredible things at Madrid. But to be honest, winning trophies later on in my career has become a different kind of emotion. When you are a father, it is a completely different feeling. A feeling that I cannot describe. This is why my time in Madrid has been special. I have been a footballer, yes, but also a father.

There is a moment with my son that I will always remember so clearly. When I think about it, I feel warm.

It was the moment on the field after we won the Champions League final in Cardiff. When I was on the pitch after the final whistle, it felt like I had sent a message to the world. But then my son came on the field to celebrate with me and suddenly, the entire emotion changed. We held the trophy together. Then we walked around the field, hand in hand.

It is a joy that I did not understand until I was a father. The only thing I can compare it to is how I felt when I was warming up in Madeira and I saw my mother and sister huddled together in the stands.

After 400 matches with Madrid, winning is still my ultimate ambition. I think I was born like that. But the feeling after has definitely changed. I had a special message engraved on my new boots. The words are the last thing that I read before I go to the tunnel. It is like a final reminder, motivation. It says 'El sueno del nino'.

'The dream of the child.'

Maybe now you understand. In the end, of course my mission is the same as it has always been. I want to win the most titles possible. This is just my nature.

But what means the most to me about my time in Madrid, and what I will tell my grandchildren about when I am 95 years old, is the feeling of walking around the pitch as a champion, hand in hand with my son.

I hope we will do it again.