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#3 Dimitar Berbatov
Dimitar Berbatov spent only one full season at Manchester United before Cristiano Ronaldo switched to Real Madrid. However, one year was enough for Cristiano Ronaldo to leave a long impression on the Bulgarian. Not to forget, Berbatov was himself a superstar for Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United in the Premier League.
Despite Berbatov being a senior pro, he was amazed and astonished when he witnessed the training dedication of a younger Cristiano Ronaldo.
In an interview with AS Diario, Berbatov recalled how Cristiano was destined for greatness even at a younger age. He said:
“Training with him was like a war because I didn’t think about anything other than winning everything, including the little games we played."
Berbatov also added how Cristiano Ronaldo would always arrive at the gym on time and stay behind for extra work. He added:
"You’d come to training and he’d already be in the gym. Then, he’d stay for extra work after training to work on his finishing, before going swimming and then returning the gym. He was determined to be the best."
#2 Paul Scholes
Paul Scholes is a Manchester United legend who has gone through many battles during his time at the club. Suffice to say, Scholes has witnessed a number of youngsters coming through the club. But few have reached anywhere close to Cristiano Ronaldo at Old Trafford.
There were doubts about his abilities on his return to Old Trafford this season. But Cristiano Ronaldo has once again performed at the highest levels, scoring 13 goals already. It may have surprised a few but not Scholes, who knew the high standards the Portuguese maintains and expects of himself.
Speaking to Premier League Productions, Scholes described how Cristiano trained at the highest levels since his teenage days. He observed how it was strikingly different from what British footballers did back then. Scholes said:
“Cristiano did all of his practising before and after training. He also made sure he was stronger for the Premier League by going into the gym afterwards.”
Scholes also added:
"He was out there all day long, practising those free-kicks. His speed, he was sprinting up hills, he had weights on his ankles. He was doing everything that the likes of the British players hadn’t seen. That wasn’t it, he was in the gym afterwards, just doing everything to prepare himself."
#1 Patrice Evra
The Frenchman is known for his quirky comments and outspoken nature in his post-playing days. But even he had to bear the brunt of Cristiano Ronaldo's hardcore fitness regime. If someone asks Evra, he will advise them to avoid Cristiano Ronaldo's lunch invitation for it's also another workout.
Speaking to ITV in 2019, Evra recalled how Cristiano's invitation for lunch turned into an intense session. Evra expected some big meat after lunch but all he got was more football. He said:
"He just finished and he stood up and he started playing with a ball, doing some skills and he said, 'Let's do some two-touch.' It was then followed by swimming and sauna."
It confused Evra to the point where he wasn't sure if Cristiano Ronaldo had invited him for lunch or a football match. He added:
"So that's why I would recommend to anyone when Cristiano invite you to his house, don't go - just say no because this guy, he's a machine, he doesn't want to stop training."
