Wayne Rooney insists he was faster than Cristiano Ronaldo in Man Utd training as he reveals shock identity of Red Devils' second-most rapid player

Ronaldo has long been regarded as the gold standard for physical excellence. From his early days at Old Trafford to his record-breaking years with Real Madrid, Juventus, and now at Al-Nassr, the Portuguese icon has dedicated his entire career to maintaining peak condition. Right from his diet and sleep routine to his gym workouts, he has meticulously planned every detail to preserve his elite athleticism well into his forties. His commitment has allowed him to continue scoring at the highest level while most players of his generation have long since retired. But Rooney’s claim sheds new light on those early United days, as the former forward claimed he had the edge over Ronaldo in the speed tests in the early days of their career.

According to Rooney, the results of the training ground sprint tests were definitive.

"We’d done tests at over 30 yards, I think it was, and I was topping that, and Owen Hargreaves was second," he claimed at The Wayne Rooney Show. "Owen was quicker than what people think. So yeah, I was, I was faster than that. But there are all different aspects in football. Cristiano obviously dribbling with the ball is really quick, Ryan Giggs dribbling with the ball. Some players seemed quicker with the ball and then without it as well."

Meanwhile, Rio Ferdinand had previously claimed on his own podcast that Hargreaves was indeed one of the fastest, "He came into the training ground when he signed, and we done testing, and he blew everyone out of the water. He blew everyone away; we used to do like 10 yards, 20 yards, and he won every race."

The relationship between Rooney and Ronaldo wasn’t always smooth sailing. The infamous flashpoint came during the 2006 World Cup quarterfinal, when Ronaldo was accused of encouraging the referee to send off Rooney for a stamp on Ricardo Carvalho. The incident briefly strained their friendship, but upon returning to Manchester, the pair quickly reconciled.

While Rooney has long since hung up his boots, Ronaldo’s story is still being written. The 40-year-old superstar is now closing in on an extraordinary milestone of 1,000 career goals. After scoring in Al-Nassr’s recent 2-0 win over Al Hazm, Ronaldo’s tally sits at an incredible 950 goals. He extended his contract with the Saudi giants in June and committed to the club until 2027. At his current scoring rate, it’s almost inevitable that Ronaldo will break the 1,000-goal barrier. It will be a feat that would establish his status as the most prolific scorer in football history. Rooney, who has often snubbed Ronaldo in favour of Lionel Messi in the GOAT debate, however, was quick to back his former teammates to reach the milestone.

"100%. He’s not retired before he’s caused thousands," he said. "It’d be great for him as well if he does that, and I’m sure over the next couple of years he’ll be playing with his son alongside him, so I think that’s a big thing as well for him."

Despite Ronaldo’s individual brilliance, his Al-Nassr side recently suffered a major blow as they crashed out of the King’s Cup following a shock 2-1 defeat to a 10-man Al-Ittihad. It was a frustrating night for Ronaldo and his teammates, but the season is far from over. Under the guidance of Jorge Jesus, Al-Nassr are dominating in the Saudi Pro League. They are currently at the top of the table with 18 points, three clear of Al-Taawoun and also a healthy eight points ahead of defending champions Al-Ittihad, the very side that dumped them out of the cup. Their next test comes this Saturday at home against Al Feiha, where Ronaldo will be eager to lead from the front and get his side back on track.

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