Wired for Speed – the Superfly lands

Cristiano Ronaldo, Old Trafford, the hush of an expectant crowd. All the familiar ingredients were in Manchester yesterday, but with one big difference: CR7 wasn’t playing. He was unveiling the latest and lightest installment in the Nike football boot dynasty – the Mercurial Superfly.

Here’s what the World Player of the Year, European Player of the Year and winner of the European Golden Shoe said about working with the Nike development team to bring his dream boot to life.

CR: “I give feedback about what I like best, what makes me feel good and things I’m accustomed to. Nike listens to my feedback and they improve the boots each time. This boot is very different to the one I’m using and I prefer these to my old boots. The Mercurial Vapor Superfly is much lighter and helps me attack faster.”.

And of all the boots out there, why is the Mercurial so special?

CR: “Since I was 16 or 17, I’ve always played with the Mercurial. These boots are very different to others – they’re much lighter, but I think the boots are perfect to play in. It is something very special to play with these boots because they are known for being fast. For people to associate speed with my style of play is flattering.”

When 76 000 fans pack Old Trafford on March 11, one thing’s for certain: with debut goals in both his Mercurial Vapor IV and Mercurial SL boots, the world will be watching the clock to see how long it takes CR7 to hit the scoresheet with his latest weapon.