Former Manchester United flop Antony has revealed that Cristiano Ronaldo once shared an insight into his personal life with him while in a sauna.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner made a stunning return to Manchester United in 2021, before a toxic break-up in late 2022 that saw him tear into the club and manager Erik ten Hag.

But, while he was at Old Trafford, he evidently had a big impact on his team-mates - including Antony.

'Cristiano Ronaldo is a great person,' the winger told Globo. 'You learn a lot from him.

'He even joked with me once, saying that people think he's arrogant, but in everyday life he's very playful. I learned a lot from him. We'd sit at the table and he'd talk about life, books, various subjects outside of football. That was cool because it helped us disconnect.

'He'd say, "Today we're not going to talk about football". And that made us learn other important things.'

Ronaldo has been known for his impressive physique. In February, posting to his 671million Instagram followers, the Al-Nassr forward captioned a topless snap: 'Longevity and high performance don't happen by chance. They're built through daily, practical recovery. It's not a secret. It's a routine.'

His former chef has also revealed his secret is the absence of milk - because he doesn't think it's natural for humans to drink it.

'No milk,' Giorgio Barone told covers.com. 'Humans are the only animals that drink the milk of other animals. No other animal drinks milk after three months. Calves don't drink milk after the age of three months. Animals don't drink the milk of other animals.'

Antony, meanwhile, revealed Ronaldo joked about his physique during a sauna session. 

'There was one time in the sauna when he joked with me, showed me his physique and asked if I looked 23 years old,' he said. 'I was even embarrassed because you see the level of care he takes even at almost 40. He's a role model for everyone.'

Antony is now playing for Betis in Spain after a nightmare spell at Old Trafford following his £85.5million move in 2022.

The Brazilian, 26, fell out of favour at the club and was shifted in the summer for a cut-price. He has scored seven goals in 27 appearances in Spain so far this season.