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Patrice Evra has named Ruud van Nistelrooy as the most impressive player he had witnessed in training at Manchester United. As far as 'the most dedicated' player is concerned, Evra named five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo.
Evra joined United in January 2006 and played with a host of talented players at Old Trafford. Apart from Ronaldo and Van Nistelrooy, the Frenchman played with Wayne Rooney, Carlos Tevez, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, and so on.
Among all the aforementioned players, Ruud van Nistelrooy is the player with whom Patrice Evra shared the least time at Manchester United. The pair shared the locker room at Old Trafford for six months as the former Dutch striker left the club in the summer of 2006, shortly before Evra joined.
Despite the limited time shared, Van Nistelrooy impressed Evra the most in training sessions. The Frenchman recently said on the SDS podcast (via YouTube channel 'SDS'):
“For me, Van Nistelrooy. If we could’ve recorded some of the goals he scored in training, seriously, it was unbelievable. The most dedicated I would say, is Cristiano.”
He added on Cristiano Ronaldo’s dedication, saying:
“The training is at 10. He will show up at 8 in the shower. He kept practicing.”
Watch here (28:27)
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Manchester United, Evra, and Ronaldo played together 121 times and combined for two goals. The former defender shared the pitch with Van Nistelrooy 12 times, but they had zero joint goal participation.
Patrice Evra reflects on what led to a fight between Cristiano Ronaldo and Ruud van Nistelrooy at Manchester United
On the same podcast, Patrice Evra recalled an incident that led to a scuffle between Cristiano Ronaldo and Ruud van Nistelrooy at Manchester United. He stated that training sessions at the time he joined the club were always feisty, describing it as a ‘no friend’ environment where the competition was intense and every player was fighting to prove themselves.
He added that his first training session at the club ended after 30 minutes due to a fight between his teammates, Ronaldo and Van Nistelrooy. He said:
“We were a family, but in training, we hated each other. Playing against Man. United was ten times easier than training with Man. United. In my first training session, Cristiano Ronaldo had just lost his dad, and Carlos Queiroz was refereeing a mini-game, and he gave Cristiano a foul.”
He continued:
“Van Nistelrooy turned around and said: ‘Carlos Queiroz is your new father’. Cristiano started crying and a fight broke out between the two of them. Ferguson ended the training session there. My first training session in Manchester was only 30 minutes. Back then we were bullying each other.”
Out of the trio, only Cristiano Ronaldo is still active in the sport as a player. The Portuguese superstar currently plays for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League.
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About the author
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Ezekiel Olamide
Ezekiel is a European football journalist who covers breaking news and transfer rumors at Sportskeeda. He is currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in Accounting and has a work experience of around 3 years, having previously worked at the likes of Opera News Hub and Extratime Talk. He is a proponent of factual accuracy, meticulous research, verification of sources and journalistic ethics and standards.
An ardent Chelsea fan, Ezekiel's journey as a football fan began in his childhood, witnessing Ronaldinho dazzle with his skills. His interest in the beautiful game deepened after Nigeria were knocked out of the 2010 FIFA World Cup; he was impressed with the Super Eagles' fighting spirit in their 2-2 Group B draw against South Korea. Some other World Cup matches which have left a deep impact on him were Belgium's incredible comeback against Japan in the round of 16 of the 2018 version and the 2022 final.
Lionel Messi is the one true GOAT for Ezekiel and he also follows the Major League Soccer and the Saudi Pro League owing to him and Cristiano Ronaldo. When not writing, he spends his free time deepening his SEO knowledge and watching skits.
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Edited by Parag Jain