Ronaldo claim contradicted after suggestion he's influenced culture at Man Utd

Cristiano Ronaldo is known for his relentless dedication to physical excellence and his commitment to a strict diet of healthy food.

The Portuguese superstar has spent his entire career geared towards longevity and to remaining in top condition to prolong his career at the elite end of football.

His return to Manchester United a month ago prompted a change in mentality among his new teammates at Old Trafford.

Red Devils back-up goalkeeper Lee Grant explained how none of the players ate dessert whenever they saw what Ronaldo had opted to have on his plate ahead of his debut against Newcastle.

Cristiano Ronaldo returned to Manchester United in August

Grant explained on talkSPORT last month: "I tell you now, not one player touched the apple crumble and custard, not one player went up for that brownie because everybody was sat down and one of the lads said to me, 'What has Cristiano got on his plate?'

"So we were having a little goosey gander at what he has got and obviously it is the cleanest, most healthy plate you can imagine.

"And it just cracked me up how not one single player dared get up and have that junk food that was laid out."

Yet that claim has been contradicted by Ronaldo's Portugal teammate Jose Fonte, who told talkSPORT that he had seen the attacker "eating a little bit of everything."

Cristiano Ronaldo is usually limited to a strict diet ( Image:

cristiano / Instagram)

Fonte joked that "you will be heavier" after coming back from national team duty with Portugal as the food is so good.

It was claimed that Ronaldo is a fan of 'steak with chips and fried egg' while he also enjoys bacalhau - a salted cod dish that includes potatoes, eggs and olives.

That Ronaldo enjoys foods that are a little more relaxed in terms of dietary strictness are likely to come as a relief to many others that, from time to time, you can indulge in meals.

The 36-year-old's shredded physique and remarkable level of fitness - a result of an intense and tailored training programme - is the envy of many professional athletes.

Ronaldo showing off his meals ( Image:

cristiano / Instagram)

Fonte added that Ronaldo's diet is always the focus of his teammates at international level too, as they constantly see him as a reference for how to improve their own conditioning and nutrition.

The defender said: "We always have a look at what he's eating and what he's doing".

"You know he's the best and you want to replicate what he's doing because he must be doing something right.

"Obviously as a rule he eats nice and clean, you know the nice quinoas and all this healthy stuff… A lot of eggs, sweet potatoes, the broccoli, he's into that."

Ronaldo's off-field commitment to health and physical conditioning is an example to any player, but even he does occasionally give in to food temptation.