The first about 4 years from his career in Europe before his serious injury, starting at 17 at PSV, he was absolutely sensational. He started brilliant, and got better and better and better. It was just impossible to stop him. At a certain point he was so strong and effective one started to wonder wether is was possible at all for a team without Ronaldo to beat a team with Ronaldo.
The strange thing was, he wasn't a wizard at all, nothing like Ronaldinho who could do anything with the ball, on technique he wasn't even close to players like Bergkamp or Messi. His first touch was reliable but not precise, but when the ball went off his foot half a yard too far, he just powered to it before a defender could. It was his combination of quick feet, long legs and strenght and speed that couldn't be defended. And a great finisher. Not a genius, not a magician, not an artist, not a technician, not a ballet danser, not highly intelligent, just unstoppable.