Now he has the chance to follow in his idol's footsteps at boyhood club

He was missing for 21 days and his mother and two brothers were killed

The youngster came to prominence as a survivor of Indian Ocean tsunami

Sporting Lisbon have signed tsunami survivor Martunis to their academy, 11 years after the disaster that forced him to survive on puddle water for 21 days and killed his mother and two brothers.

Martunis, now 17, was unveiled in the Portuguese capital having pursued his dream in spite of the desolation brought on by the disaster that hit his home in Indonesia on Boxing Day 2004.

The giant waves, caused by an earthquake in the Indian Ocean, killed 230,000 people across 14 countries and separated the young boy from his family and leaving him to live off some noodles he had found and water from puddles.

Sporting Lisbon have signed tsunami survivor Martunis to their academy, 11 years on from the disaster

Proudly wearing his new club suit, Martunis poses after fulfilling his dream by being signed by Sporting

Martunis has now signed with Sporting's academy and posed for photos at the Estadio Jose Alvalade

Martunis takes a seat on the bench at the Estadio Jose Alvalade, where he could be playing in years to come

The youngster will be placed in Sporting's academy and could play for their Under 19s side next season

Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo was inspired by Martunis' story and met with him after the disaster

Now, Martunis has joined Sporting's famous academy that nurtured the talents of his hero, Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo, and Luis Figo in the past.

'It's great to be here, this club makes my dream possible,' he said at his presentation. 'I am incredibly excited about this opportunity. Viva Sporting!'

Sporting president Bruno de Carvalho said: 'Martunis will work at the academy. We will work with him also in his development as a human being and as a man.'

Martunis grew up in Banda Aceh, Indonesia and attended English classes three times a week in addition to a soccer school in his home city in pursuit of his dream career.

Portuguese star Ronaldo met with Martunis in the aftermath of the disaster after images of him in a Portugal shirt - he was playing football when the 9.3 magnitude earthquake struck - hit headlines across the world.

At the time, Ronaldo said: 'I believe that many adults would not even be able to deal with what he has gone through.

Ronaldo said that he believed not many adults would have survived the ordeal that Martunis went through

Martunis' story inspired many and he was pictured with Ronaldo and Sepp Blatter after the worldwide story

The young Indonesian survivor looks up at the World Cup as it made a tour around the world in March 2006

The late Portuguese legend Eusebio is pictured with the youngster in a new Portugal shirt in 2005

Martunis was found in a Portugal shirt on the beaches of Banda Aceh, having survived alone for 21 days

An aerial photo from two weeks after the disaster shows the damage caused to a coastal area of Banda Aceh

SOME OF SPORTING LISBON'S MOST FAMOUS ACADEMY PRODUCTS Cristiano Ronaldo, Luis Figo, Nani, Eric Dier, Ricardo Quaresma, Simao, Joao Moutinho, Jose Fonte, Silvestre Varela, Miguel Veloso, Nuno Valente, Luis Boa Morte. Advertisement

'We must respect him. His was an act of strength and maturity. He's a special kid.'

When found by a group of journalists wandering the beaches of the Indonesian city, Martunis needed a saline drip due to the dehydration he had suffered, while he was also said to be frail and badly bitten after the 21-day ordeal.

A member of the Save the Children team who delivered him to hospital said that had he been found a day later he may not have survived.

Martunis was later reunited with his father but his siblings and mother were among the many casualties in one of the world's worst natural disasters.

At his unveiling on Thursday, Martunis said 'It's great to be here, this club makes my dream possible'

The youngster and his father Sarbini lost three members of their family: Martunis' mother and two brothers

Martunis is said to have always dreamed of becoming a professional footballer and he is now on the way

Banda Aceh was 150 miles from the 9.3 magnitude earthquake's epicentre and was hit hard by waves

The seven-year-old's home was rebuilt with money sent by the Portuguese FA and raised by Ronaldo's fundraising efforts before he met his hero three years later.

He is said to have always dreamed of becoming a professional footballer and the move to Sporting is the next step on that path.

'My favourite hobby is playing football,' Martunis said in 2008. 'I don't like other sports. It's fun. My grandfather was a footballer. I want to be a footballer when I grow up.'

Along with Ronaldo, Portuguese icon Luis Figo is one of the Sporting academy's most famous products

Manchester United winger Nani also came up through the ranks at Sporting before moving to Old Trafford

'I let him play football in the afternoon,' his father Sarbini said. 'I ask him to go to school, learn to read the Koran and attend an English course.

'I want him to be a clever boy with a bright future. I don't want him to end up like me who did not have a proper education. I hope he gets a good job in the future.