Brazil legend and new AC Milan signing Ronaldo hopes he's still the 'Phenomenon' who powered his country and Europe's best clubs to glory.
Answering one of the surprisingly few fans who turned up for his first day at work Wednesday, the three-time World Player of the Year said "I hope I can still live up to the tag".
The 30-year-old former Inter Milan star, who moved to its cross-city rivals for 7.5 million after falling out with Real coach Fabio Capello, was mobbed by a contrastingly large media scrum after his first session at Milan's high-tech MilanLab.
"I really wanted to come back, considering the situation at Madrid," said the man Italian call 'Ronie'.
"I hope I really do well for my new fans," he said, adding that he was uncertain when he would appear alongside stars like Maldini, Seedorf, Kaka' and Inzaghi - who are all enthusiastic about the new buy.
Striding away from the microphones and flashlights, Ronaldo turned round only once, and smiled, when a youngster shouted "get two for us in the derby".
The soccer world, not just in Italy, is eager to see how the Brazilian performs against his former club and runaway Italian league leaders on Sunday, March 11.
Ronaldo was first dubbed 'the Phenomenon' as a teenage goalscoring sensation for Dutch champs PSV Eindhoven in the mid-1990s.
His career strike rate for PSV, Brazil, Barcelona, Inter and Real - 376 goals in 530 games - is second to none, though he slowed in his later Real years, dogged by weight problems and spells on the bench.
Italian sports dailies were split Wednesday on whether the 'real' Ronaldo can help Milan get to the Champions League Final next year - the one piece of silverware he lacks.
A sub-par Milan has set Champions League qualification as its target this year.
In Serie A, it currently languishes 30 points behind runaway leaders Inter but is only three off the pace of its main rival for Europe, Lazio of Rome.
ITALIAN SPORTS DAILIES: GOOD ENOUGH, WHEN?
La Gazzetta dello Sport was convinced Wednesday that Ronaldo's "charisma" would boost dressing-room morale.
Milan is still in this year's Champions League but coach Carlo Ancelotti recently said the team's problems in attack and defence probably put a record seventh Champions title out of reach this season.
Next year could be a different story, La Gazzetta said.
"If Ronaldo is fit, he's still one of the best finishers around," it said, predicting that the powerful striker may achieve his remaining ambition next year.
The other big daily, Corriere dello Sport, was less sure.
"How much of the great Ronaldo remains after his long and not particularly fortunate experience in Spain"? it asked.
Like other papers, Corriere also questioned Ronaldo's ability to get match-fit fast.
"How long will we have to wait before seeing him back at his best," it wondered.
Pundits think Ronaldo, who has done more time on the bench than on the field in the last couple of months, may be ready to don the famed Rossoneri strip by mid-February.
After a few run-outs, Ancelotti could even start him against his new arch-rivals a month later, they think.
Inter coach Roberto Mancini is already looking forward to it.
"Ronaldo's still a great player," he said Wednesday.
"He hasn't lost his class, but we'll obviously have to see him in action before passing judgement".
Mancini added that the Inter fans were "understandably disappointed" that Ronaldo hadn't come back to the other side of Milan.
"Ronaldo was loved as few other players have been, so it's quite natural for them to be sad".
The Brazilian was a major factor in Inter's most recent international title, the 1997 UEFA Cup.
The following year he famously sobbed bitter tears on a sunny day in Rome as a star-studded Inter broke down at the last hurdle, choking in a dramatic debacle against Lazio.
