Brazilian football legend Ronaldo is set to appear on Celebrity Fit Club, reports Yahoo.com. The striker, now retired from the professional game after one last hoorah in his native league, was often referred to as the “fat Ronaldo” to differentiate him from the Portuguese, and much trimmer: Cristiano Ronaldo, who plies his trade in Spain with Real Madrid.

"I'm enjoying participating in the program, because it is an incentive for me to lose weight," he told iG Gente. "Maybe if I didn't have the pressure of everybody watching me trying to lose weight then I wouldn't be able to do it.” The former Inter Milan striker has ballooned in weight since his teary retirement last year, but was facing fitness concerns towards the back end of his injury hit career in sport. Marcio Atalla, who has been charged with getting Ronaldo into shape, said:"The idea of choosing Ronaldo came mainly because we wanted to show that people cannot stand still. You may have had a physically active job but if you stop and adopt a new lifestyle then your body will feel it and react to it. The exercises that keep you in shape need to be part of your routine forever."

The first episode promises to be a gruelling one for Ronaldo, as the show’s experts perform blood tests, body measurements, electrocardiography, and an exercise test, measuring the percentage of fat and muscle on his troublesome temple. "All I can say is that I will work hard, be persistent and not give up until I reach my recommended weight," said the three time FIFA World Footballer of the Year. "I want people to be inspired by me." We at Contact Music wish him all the best!