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Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has made a hilarious piece of claim about his former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo potentially losing his fitness.
Ronaldo is regarded as one of the fittest players of all time who takes utmost care of his physique. Ferdinand spent six glorious years of his career alongside the Portuguese ace at Manchester United between 2003 and 2009.
The former England defender knows Cristiano Ronaldo inside out and brought up his name while discussing the fitness of retired footballers. Appearing on his FIVE podcast on YouTube, Ferdinand discussed which footballers he believed looked better after they hung up their boots.
The former Manchester United defender claimed that Cristiano Ronaldo will certainly maintain his fitness levels even after bowing out of the game. As quoted by talkSPORT, he said:
“He ain’t going to change. Knowing Cristiano and how vain he is and how much he loves his good looks and how much he wants to look tip top, there ain’t going to much change in him.”
When co-host Stephen Howson jokingly asked if he’d ever expect the five-time Ballon d'Or winner to lose his shape, Ferdinand joked:
“Ah no, I’d cane him! I don’t think he’d allow it, honestly. I would cane him, I would hammer him. If he’s got a little derby sitting over his belt and he can’t see the name of his belt and he can barely see his toes, and he’s resting his arm on his belly when he’s drinking a pint, oh my god I’d pay a lot of money to see that.”
Cristiano Ronaldo is currently 38 years of age and is still going strong for Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr. His current deal with the Riyadh-based side expires in 2025 when he turns 40 but he has been linked with a move away this summer.
Manchester United star's comments on Cristiano Ronaldo resurface amidst links to Al-Nassr
Manchester United defender Alex Telles' comments about Cristiano Ronaldo have now resurfaced, amid reports of Al-Nassr’s interest in the fullback.
In 2021, the Brazil international heaped praise on the Portuguese forward, who was Telles' teammate at Old Trafford back then. Telles is currently on a season-long loan at Sevilla. Spanish outlet Diario AS recently said that the fullback could leave Manchester United after returning from his loan spell at Sevilla in July.
Amid reports of a possible reunion at Al-Nassr, Telles’ old comments about his relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo have reappeared. Speaking to United’s website, Telles said in 2021:
“There aren’t words to describe Cristiano. We all know how important he is. It’s not just for Manchester United, but in football in general. Considering everything he’s achieved in his career, all the Champions League trophies he’s won, we know the weight he carries in this competition. For me and the other Portuguese speakers, it’s obviously a closer relationship.”
The former FC Porto left-back added:
“It’s really important for me after having played in Portugal for so many years, and I know the culture well. Knowing we have one of the best players in the world alongside us makes us happy and confident going up against opponents knowing we have such strength on our side.”
Telles looks likely to leave Manchester United at the end of the season with the Red Devils already boasting Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia in the position. He has featured fairly regularly at Sevilla this season. In 32 games across competitions, he has notched three assists.
