The 41-year-old sportsman is set to play a sixth World Cup for Portugal and the national coach admitted he and his backroom team are always in order with the fresh drive he brings to training every single day.

Roberto told FourFourTwo magazine: “He’s become more than a player – he’s a reference point, a landmark.

“But what genuinely explains the longevity – what surprises you everyday as a coaching staff – is something simpler and more powerful than any record.

“He comes to training every single day wanting to be better than the day before.

“That hunger is completely renewed every morning.

“He’s not weakened by his own success, which is an extraordinarily rare quality among human beings.

“After achieving something that was a once-in-a-lifetime dream, it’s natural – and a completely human response – to find that the flame burns a little lower the following day.

“The satisfaction of having done it changes the emotional charge the nxt training session.

2Cristiano is the exact opposite. His hunger regenerates itself constantly.

“That’s what leaves you, as a coaching staff, genuinely surprised – not the talent, which everyone can see, but the engine behind it.”

Martinez insisted there is no question of replacing Ronaldo as Portugal’s captain.

He said: "His commitment to Portugal is total, absolute, and strong even today – not historical.

“That’s why he remains our captain.

“He’s scored 25 goals in 30 matches under my management. The numbers make the argument for him.

“Our standard for selection is identical for every single player, and it’s very high. Cristiano meets it.

“He’s not in the squad because of what he was, but because his present form earns it every time.”