Ahead of the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final tie against Atletico Madrid, Sporting Lisbon received an unexpected visit from a familiar face.

Cristiano Ronaldo, fresh from his star turn for Real Madrid in their own European quarter-final first leg against Juventus, showed up at his former club to encourage them before their crucial clash on Thursday.

“Look who gave us extra strength for the game!” Sporting wrote on Twitter.

Sporting keeper Luis Maximiano took pictures with the club legend he called “the best player in the world”, a statement hard to refute after Ronaldo’s performance against Juve, which included a stunning overhead kick, helping to give Madrid a 3-0 lead over the Serie A side heading into next week’s second leg at home.

Ronaldo began his career at the Portuguese club, starring for their academy before producing stunning performances upon making his senior bow, famously catching the eye of Sir Alex Ferguson during a friendly against Manchester United in 2003.