Ruud van Nistelrooy on his rift with Cristiano Ronaldo during his time at Manchester United

Manchester United legend Ruud van Nistelrooy insists that his reported training ground bust-up with Cristiano Ronaldo during his playing days was exaggerated by the media.

Cristiano Ronaldo moved to Old Trafford from Sporting CP in 2003, while Van Nistelrooy was already there for two years.

The now-retired Dutch striker and the Portuguese forward reportedly clashed in training after the former told the latter to join the circus via the Daily Mail.

Van Nistelrooy supposedly had an issue with the flashy playing style of Cristiano Ronaldo, who was just 18 years old at the time.

The Dutchman has now opened up about the incident in an interview with former Manchester United defender Gary Neville on The Overlap.

Cristiano Ronaldo had a stunning first stint at Old Trafford, winning the UEFA Champions League, among numerous other trophies, before moving to Real Madrid in 2009.

His second stint at Manchester United, meanwhile, ended last November after his contract was terminated. The Portuguese ace currently plays for the Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Nassr.

Van Nistelrooy, meanwhile, is in the midst of his managerial career, currently managing Dutch outfit PSV Eindhoven.

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