Cristiano Ronaldo must have a few secrets in his locker when it comes to how he became one of the best players in the world.
The Real Madrid superstar may or may not be in Lionel Messi’s league; it really depends on who you ask, but other than that, he’s got to be considered the world’s greatest.
It takes a special kind of player to be loved by fans of his old club, but his former admirers at Manchester United still have a place for him in their hearts.
That includes Gary Neville, his ex-team-mate, who has now explained exactly how United turned CR7 into the player he is today.
“Cristiano was butchered and battered for two or three years at Manchester United and he has said it made him a man,” Neville told talkSPORT.
“He became someone who would come in and do half an hour before training and an hour after training, but there had been 20 players per season for 15 years doing that every day.”
Neville added that under Sir Alex Ferguson, Ronaldo went on to set the standard at the club, but he continues to thrive under Zinedine Zidane at the Bernabeu.
At 31, it’s unclear how long the Portuguese sensation will remain at the top of his game, but it’s definitely been one hell of a ride so far.
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