Rio Ferdinand insists Cristiano Ronaldo will be more motivated than ever to lift the Champions League trophy again this evening in Kiev.

Real Madrid take on Liverpool with Los Blancos looking to retain their title for the third consecutive season following their 2016 and 2017 triumphs.

All eyes will be on how the Portuguese rises to the occasion and Ferdinand admits he’s regularly left in awe by the talents of his former Manchester United team-mate.

Writing in his column for The Sun, Ferdinand said: “Nobody on that Kiev pitch tonight will be more motivated to win the Champions League trophy than my mate Cristiano Ronaldo. No matter how much desire and hunger Liverpool have and they have plenty it won’t be more than him. He is driven to set new records, to hit new heights and to be remembered as the greatest footballer ever.

“There have been many potential superstars who didn’t have the intelligence to make it count like Cris. He came to England as an entertainer. By the time he left, he was so much more than that — he had learned the end product. He could put in the killer cross and deliver the killer finish.

“If I’m honest I’d quite like to see Cristiano lifting that trophy again.”