Wayne Rooney Recalls Taking Cristiano Ronaldo to McDonald's in Weight Gain Quest

Cristiano Ronaldo holds a refined reputation for treating his body like a temple, but Wayne Rooney recalled the forward using McDonald's Big Macs for weight gain while at Manchester United.

The two United legends spent five years as team-mates at Old Trafford; Rooney arrived at the club in 2004, one year after Ronaldo, who joined Real Madrid for what was at the time a world-record £80 million in 2009.

Ronaldo, 35, boasts one of the most famous physiques in sports, but Rooney told The Times' Jonathan Northcroft (h/t MailOnline's Kieran Lynch) there was a time when he used a less stringent approach:

"With Cristiano, when I first got to United we used to go to games and train together. I remember the night before a game stopping off at McDonald's because he wanted a Big Mac. 

"He was trying to put weight on because he was so thin. I was driving the car, having to go through the drive-through to get him a Big Mac."

Rooney and Ronaldo were each part of the United team that won a UEFA Champions League and Premier League double under Sir Alex Ferguson in 2008.

Both players feature as some of the youngest to have scored 40 Premier League goals for United, per Sky Sports Statto:

Rooney has four sons and was in awe as to how his former team-mate—who also has four children—managed to maintain the regime he's come to adopt: "With four kids I don't know how he fits that in. You've got Ronaldo, who looks a million dollars, whereas I've never had the best body, but I can play 90 minutes, I can train every day. I have no worries physically. When I do, I'll stop."

Ronaldo's dedicated approach to maintaining his body and well-being is part of the reason he's scored at least 25 goals in each of his two seasons since joining Juventus in July 2018.

The Portugal captain has scored 53 goals in 75 appearances for the Bianconeri, and Rooney told CNN at the time of his move from Real Madrid that he would be a success at Juve:

Ronaldo's current diet methods are even influencing the next generation of superstars, such as Borussia Dortmund ace Erling Haaland, per Goal:

Rooney, 34, joined Derby County in January 2020 and could keep a playing role at Pride Park until the summer of 2022, when Ronaldo's current contract with Juventus is also scheduled to expire.

It's comforting to know a Big Mac on rare occasions is permitted for even a five-time Ballon d'Or winner, though it's fair to assume his weight-gain practices have since been updated.

In an interview with Marca's Pablo Polo and Sergio Fernandez in July 2019, Ronaldo indicated he's happy to play until the age of 40 provided his body allows for it.