How Neville and Keane turned Cristiano Ronaldo into a 'robot'

Former Manchester United midfielder Eric Djemba-Djemba revealed that Gary Neville and Roy Keane played an incomparable role in the rise of Portuguese legend Cristiano Ronaldo. According to him, young Cristiano faced intense pressure and harsh treatment from his teammates during his early years with the 'Red Devils', but these challenges made him stronger. This is reported by Goal.com .

Recalling the training sessions, Djemba-Djemba noted that Gary Neville and Roy Keane played very physically against the young star. "I remember the training sessions, they would knock him down every time. Cristiano would cry, but he would immediately get up and keep running. He always wanted to be the first, to win in training and in matches. He deserved all of it," says the former player.

Despite being 41 years old, Cristiano Ronaldo continues to play at a high level for Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr. The forward, who has won numerous trophies with clubs like Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus, has secured five 'Ballon d'Or' awards and several Champions League titles throughout his career.

Djemba-Djemba did not hide his admiration for Ronaldo's physical condition. In his opinion, the Portuguese 'robot' can easily play until he is 44-45 years old. Currently, Cristiano Ronaldo aims to score his 1000th career goal and is preparing to captain his national team at the 2026 World Cup.