“Cristiano was like, ‘What is this? Come on!’” - Ferdinand shares why Cristiano Ronaldo and Rooney were furious with Owen Hargreaves in fitness test
Rio Ferdinand has revealed why his former Manchester United teammates Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney were once furious with Owen Hargreaves after their first fitness test together at the club. The legendary duo were stunned at how the midfielder, who was then a new signing, finished on top of the sprint charts.
On the latest episode of UEFA's Legends Lounge, Ferdinand welcomes his former teammate Hargreaves. They spoke about his first day in Manchester United training and how it left Ronaldo and Rooney stunned.
Ferdinand said:
"When he [Hargreaves] signed with United, we were at the training ground after [fitness] testing on the first day. We all knew him from England [camp], but many of the others had no idea who he was [at the time]. I remember Wazza running into the changing room and going, 'no, this is wrong. How is Owen at the top of the charts with the sprints?' Cristiano was also like, 'what is this? Come on!'. It was funny."
Owen Hargreaves played just 29 matches with Cristiano Ronaldo as the Portuguese star left for Real Madrid at the end of the 2008/09 season. However, they won the UEFA Champions League and the Premier League together that season.
Owen Hargreaves on how Cristiano Ronaldo treated him in Manchester United training
Owen Hargreaves claimed that he used to practise freekicks with Cristiano Ronaldo in Manchester United training. The Portuguese star was impressed with the Englishman's technique and even asked him to take free-kicks in the UEFA Champions League final.
He said via GOAL:
"We used to practice all the time and Cristiano knew I could (score them) and I love that about him. I remember we played, I'd scored a couple, and we practiced before the Champions League final against Chelsea that year, he was on one side of the box and I was on the other. I hit nine out of ten into the top corner and Edwin van der Sar was in goal."
"And Edwin came to me and said, 'Owen, if we get a free-kick in the Champions League final you've got to take it'. I said, 'I can't take it off Cristiano, that's Cristiano Ronaldo'. Anyway, we get to the dressing room, we're warming up to go out on the pitch before we go out, nobody is around, Cristiano walks over and says, 'Owen if we get a free-kick today it's yours, I saw you practising'. That's who he was," he added.
Owen Hargreaves and Cristiano Ronaldo combined for just one goal in the 2008/09 season. It came in the Red Devils' 4-1 win over West Ham United in the penultimate gameweek of the Premier League season.