Gary Neville has revealed the three Manchester United legends who were the toughest to train against, despite claiming that he was not “fazed” by one.
The 49-year-old ex-Manchester United defender spent the entirety of his club playing career under legendary former manager Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford.
Gary Neville, who was one of the famed ‘Class of ‘92’ members who broke into the United first team, enjoyed incredible success during his prolific spell with the club.
The United legend lifted eight Premier League titles, two Champions Leagues, three FA Cups and three League Cups under the tutelage of Sir Alex Ferguson.
Neville inherited the captain’s armband at United after fellow Red Devils legend Roy Keane was axed from the Premier League club by Ferguson in 2005.
The former United right-back, who retired from professional football in 2011, became a key locker-room figure for Ferguson towards the end of his playing career.
During his glittering career at Old Trafford, Neville shared the pitch with a roster of star-studded talent at United, including the likes of Paul Scholes and Eric Cantona.
However, the former United captain admitted that three former teammates stood out for the tough test they offered him in training at the Red Devils.
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Neville on three tough Man Utd legends
Speaking on The Overlap, Gary Neville sat down for an interview with Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold and opened up on his own time at Manchester United.
The Sky Sports pundit revealed that three of the toughest opponents he came up against in United training were Ryan Giggs, Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney.
Neville came through the United academy alongside fellow Class of ’92 alumni Ryan Giggs, while Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney were brought to Old Trafford.
The former United and England full-back insisted that there were occasions when Ronaldo was “tough” to play against during training sessions.
However, Neville suggested that he “wasn’t fazed” by the 39-year-old Portuguese superstar and believes Ronaldo ‘did not enjoy’ the experience of playing against him.
“I played against Cristiano Ronaldo a couple of times where he came over to my side, it was tough,” he said.
“I don’t think he enjoyed it either, though. At the time, he was quite young, and I was experienced.
“I wasn’t fazed by him because I’d played against him every day. I always say this, the best players I played against were in training – Giggs, Ronaldo, and Rooney.”
Neville had tough time in Man Utd training
United legend Patrice Evra previously claimed that he “nearly killed” Neville in a training session and his former teammate “did a backflip” after his challenge on him.
“I nearly killed Gary Neville, I’ll be honest with you,” he told his YouTube channel.
“Sir Alex Ferguson stopped the training about that. So, I remember, I get the ball. Then Gary Neville comes and he tackled me.
“He got the ball but he got a little bit of me, so I was on the floor. And I looked at him and he was standing there.
“And I said, “Gary, you won’t say sorry?” He looked at me and said ‘F**k off.’”
Evra added: “When he said that, that’s what brought me back to the streets, the hood. I was like, ‘Ahhh, fine.’ I just stood up. I cleaned my shin. I said, ‘Game on!’
“The ball arrived to his chest. I go and run and I put my two legs into his chest. He jumped also, so I put my two legs into his chest. He did a backflip.”