Man Utd's Cristiano Ronaldo, 37, shows off shredded physique in pre-season snap

Cristiano Ronaldo knows his way around a gym.

Not only is the Manchester United superstar arguably the greatest male footballer in history, but he also lays claim to the status of being the sport’s finest ever athlete.

As recently as 20 years ago, football wasn’t the clean-eating and health-obsessed game that we know today with sports science in its infancy and players still knocking back pints after matches.

But even in an era where every meal and workout is put under the microscope, few players can hold a candle to the ultimate footballing machine that is Ronaldo himself.

Now, it’s important to be upfront here and say that no one body is automatically the ideal one. An athletic and fit physique can come in all different shapes and sizes for both men and women.

However, it just so happens that the rippling muscles and toned upper body of Ronaldo have worked an absolute treat for him personally because the results on the pitch speak for themselves.

We are, after all, talking about a player who has ranked amongst the sport’s fastest sprinters deep into his thirties and produces headers with leaps so incredible that they wouldn’t look out of place in the NBA.

Marry that to the strength required to hold off the most gladiatorial of centre-backs as well as the nimbleness needed to go on mazy dribbles and it couldn’t be any clearer that Ronaldo’s body works perfectly for him.

And the remarkable fact behind all of these elite physical capabilities is that Ronaldo has been able to maintain them up until an age where most elite footballers are already winding down.

So, when Ronaldo decided to show off his physique to the world on social media ahead of the 2022/23 season in which he will turn 38 years old, we really shouldn’t be