Clegg: Rooney loves boxing and actual football training, but not the gym work as much

Mike Clegg, former Manchester United fitness coach, believes it was in the Gym that Wayne Rooney lost out to Cristiano Ronaldo. Rooney fitness last season was questionable and affected his performances in the pitch.

"Wayne didn’t see the importance of the gym really. He’d say, 'I’m here to play football'. I always wish I could have pushed Wayne that bit further. Wayne was always a big lad and was afraid of bulking up if he spent too much time in the gym."

"That’s what set Cristiano Ronaldo apart. He would do whatever training I prescribed and more. He lived and breathed football 24/7 and his dedication was phenomenal."

“Ronaldo took on a new level of total dedication to his training because he wanted to be the best footballer in the world.

“He filled his time with football, his whole life was dedicated to it. He even had his own cook so that he was eating well all the time, he made sure he bought a house with a swimming pool so that he could do more training.

“Roanldo would listen to the specialists around him, the coaches, the manager, the other players like Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. He took their advice in pursuit of personal excellence.”

Ronaldo would eat the right food, swim, sleep, where I’m sure he dreamed about football, and come back in the next morning. He did that for five or six years and, knitted together, that made him become the player who was sold for £80m.

“They say you need to put 10,000 hours in before you can become great at something, be it painting or playing the guitar. Ronaldo did that – and more.

"Wayne Rooney loves boxing and actual football training, but not the gym work as much.”

Clegg says Rooney can still reach the levels of Cristiano Ronaldo if he concentrated on his work in the gym.

"Wayne could still be as good as Cristiano if he emulated his attitude to the gym — he is an amazing athlete when he puts his mind to it."