And in his childhood home of Madeira, Cristiano Ronaldo will now be remembered forever thanks to this bizarrely-proportioned statue newly erected in his honour.

The star footballer, 29, returned to the Portuguese island yesterday to pose in front of the bronze effigy with his family by his side.

The large replica of the Real Madrid maestro shows him in his famous free-kick pose and large crowds gathered yesterday to applaud its unveiling.

But the sculpture has since raised a few eyebrows  - with many claiming the artist has been somewhat 'generous' to the footballer in the shorts department. 

The statue was erected in Ronaldo's home city of Funchal - where there is already a museum, known as CR7, dedicated to the star.

Speaking yesterday he said: 'This is a very special moment, to have a statue of me,' the BBC reports.

On his Twitter account, he posted: 'I feel so proud to be honored with a statue in Madeira.

'It's a huge joy to share this moment with my family and the people from Madeira. Thank you all for the warm reception.'

His mother Dolores Aveiro added: 'Ronaldo has never forgotten his origins.'

Locals have expressed mixed opinions of the statue.

One couple said: 'We think the facial expression looks a bit like him but not the face. At a first look you can't say it is Ronaldo - but it's a nice statue and does not pass unnoticed.'

Another man, asked about the sculpture, said: 'I don't think the statue looks like him. I like to see him in person.'

There has also been an amused reaction on social media - with many commenting on the statue's tight shorts.

(dailymail.co.uk)