'I played with Cristiano Ronaldo at Man Utd, but he wasn't my favorite teammate'

Gary Neville revealed he considered David Beckham a superior teammate to Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United. An Old Trafford stalwart, Neville's illustrious career spanned 19 years, from 1992 to 2011, during which he won eight Premier League titles, nine domestic cups and two Champions Leagues.

The pragmatic right-back was renowned for his composure and leadership, earning the captain's armband under Sir Alex Ferguson in 2005 following the departure of Roy Keane. Through his unwavering loyalty and service, Neville has had the privilege of sharing the pitch with some of the world's best players – from English greats like Paul Scholes, Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand to European stars such as Ruud van Nistelrooy and Eric Cantona .

However, it was Beckham with whom he formed an immediate bond, establishing a remarkable rapport on and off the pitch that translated into almost telepathic communication during matches. But when Beckham bid farewell to United for Real Madrid in 2003, Neville was tasked with forging a new partnership with Ronaldo.

Revealing a contrast in their playing styles and relationships to Sky Sports, Neville admitted that although Ronaldo became a celebrity at Manchester United, he never developed the same level of communication on the pitch as he did with Beckham. He said: “Well I never saw Ronaldo, it was better to play with Beckham because he actually played with you.

“Ronaldo, that was one of his peculiarities, he was never in front of you. Sometimes you could do quite a few dummy runs behind him. He was a great individual who could play everything on the front line , I obviously think the partnership with Beckham was something special.

“But Ronaldo, at two or three years at Old Trafford, was absolutely incredible.” Ronaldo's trajectory mirrored that of Beckham when he left the Red Devils for Real Madrid in 2009, where he achieved immense success, including two La Liga titles and four Champions League trophies – amassing 450 goals and 131 assists in 438 appearances.

After leaving Madrid in 2018, Ronaldo spent three seasons at Juventus before making a notable return to Manchester United in 2021. However, his second spell in the northwest proved short-lived, ending with a mutual agreement after only one year. In 2023, Ronaldo takes on a new challenge with the Saudi club Al-Nassr, in the Pro League, where he continues to play at the age of 39.

On the other hand, Neville remained loyal to Manchester United throughout his career, retiring in 2011 and briefly dabbling in management. He was England assistant for four years before taking on a full management role at Valencia. These days, Neville is more comfortable analyzing the game from the sidelines, winning praise for his expert work with Sky Sports.