Barcelona defender Gerard Pique says Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo deserved to win the Ballon d'Or. The pair were teammates at Manchester United.

"I like the fact that Ronaldo won and cried. It really mattered to him," Pique told Jot Down.

"He had suffered a bit and that's why he reacted the way he did. He's known as a tough character, for being superior in both a good and bad way.

"If I always speak well about Cristiano it's because I like him. People can draw their own conclusions from the gestures and comments, but they don't know. I must add that he's changed a bit recently. He helped me a lot when I joined United."

Pique added: "Cristiano is the perfect player, a born trainer who always wants to improve. He can shoot with his right foot, left foot, from free-kicks, penalties and with his head. He's the perfect player. He's the most demanding with himself."