“Obviously you got stronger, he got stronger” - Gary Neville compares Cristiano Ronaldo’s early physique to current Liverpool superstar
Former Manchester United captain Gary Neville compared the early physiques of Trent Alexander-Arnold to that of Cristiano Ronaldo. The former English defender said that Ronaldo's physique when he had initially arrived at Old Trafford from Sporting Lisbon back in 2003, is similar to how Alexander-Arnold was shaped during his early days at Anfield.
Speaking about the Liverpool right-back on his Sky Bet podcast - The Overlap - Neville compared Ronaldo's physique first to Wayne Rooney's. He said (via DAZN):
“Their body shapes were different [Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney]. I say that respectfully, in terms of Wazza had more of a square, strong shape. Whilst Cristiano had this physique like a super middleweight boxer, he was in the gym everyday doing pre activation."
Neville added:
“He would stay afterwards [training] and do all sorts, the ice bath, he had all of the stuff in his house. To be fair, Wazza, if you ask him, liked to drink and go out a little bit, and his body shape was different, but they were both unbelievable players."
Neville then concluded by comparing the early Ronaldo physique to Alexander-Arnold's initial days. He said:
"Cristiano just went on and he is still going on now, you’ve seen what he has got, I mean it's unbelievable. Your [Trent Alexander-Arnold] body shape is similar to Cristiano’s in the sense of when he first came in and obviously you got stronger, he got stronger.”
Ronaldo has since then gone on to become one of the most physically athletic players in world football, a result of which he is still reaping at the age of 39.
Cristiano Ronaldo snubbed in favor of rival Lionel Messi by Mikel Arteta
One of the most heated debates of the 21st century among football fans has been the argument for the better player between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Both players have won multiple Ballons d'Or, broken several scoring records, and won Champions Leagues among other titles with their teams.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was asked to give his vote on the matter, with the Spaniard choosing Messi. He told Sky Sports (Sport Bible):
“It's always been Lionel Messi. For my 3 sons, it's exactly the same. We have been really lucky to have the opportunity to experience the best player of all time. For me, he is the greatest of all time.”
Ronaldo is currently playing for Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League while Messi represents Inter Miami in the Major Soccer League in the USA.