Cristiano Ronaldo’s former team-mate Rafael van der Vaart gives bizarre x-rated reason for why former Man United star is football’s hardest worker

Former Tottenham and Real Madrid midfielder Rafael van der Vaart has made a bizarre penis joke about Cristiano Ronaldo, praising the Portuguese superstar for being ‘ahead of his time’ with his work ethic.

Ronaldo, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, has long impressed team-mates with his work ethic on the training pitch and in the dressing room.

The Manchester United and Real Madrid legend is still going strong just two months out from his 40th birthday, with 15 goals and three assists from 18 games for Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Nassr so far this campaign.

Several former team-mates of Ronaldo have praised the Portugal international for his superb professionalism and commitment to football over the years, but none have done so in quite the same way as Van der Vaart did this week.

The Dutchman, appearing on talkSPORT radio’s TheLineUp podcast, made a bizarre penis joke while reflecting on his time in the Real Madrid dressing room between 2008 and 2010.

The 41-year-old said: ‘He never left the house! I always tell this joke: Ronaldo is the only player whose penis I’ve never seen. He was always the first one to train and the last one to leave.’

Van der Vaart, whose joke prompted those on the podcast to burst out with laughter, continued: ‘First of all, his body, wow. He was a machine.

‘He was a little ahead of his time, players today do the same. But his training in the gym, his diet, his sleep, all of that was more important to him than training extra hard (on the pitch).’

The ex-Netherlands international went on to explain Ronaldo’s hunger for goals and explained how the craving was ‘selfish’ at times.

‘He was incredibly selfish,’ Van der Vaart added. ‘If we won 6-0 and he didn’t score, he wasn’t happy, but when we lost, he was happy if he scored two.

‘Did he play just for himself? No, it was just his need to score. Ruud van Nistelrooy was the same.

‘We had a lot of conversations with him and it was very interesting because he kept saying: “I need my goals!”.’

Ronaldo is chasing down the astonishing feat of scoring 1,000 career goals in world football, with his remarkable tally currently at 915.

The Portuguese forward took the 200th penalty of his career to net his 914th goal last Friday, as he scored twice to help Al-Nassr secure a 2-0 victory over Damac in the Saudi Pro League.

Ronaldo and Van der Vaart rubbed shoulders at the Bernabeu for just one season, with the ex-Man United star joining Real Madrid for a then world record fee of £80million in 2009 before the Dutchman’s exit to Tottenham Hotspur in August 2010.

The Portuguese icon, who did not lift a trophy that season alongside Van der Vaart, went on to win two LaLigas and four Champions Leagues during his time in the Spanish capital.

Ronaldo, who turns 40 in February, admitted last month that he may miss out on his 1,000 goal target in what was his biggest retirement hint yet.

Speaking upon being handed the Platinum Quinas trophy by Portugal’s FA in November, Ronaldo said: ‘I now face my life as living in the moment. I can’t think long term anymore.

‘I said publicly that I wanted to reach 1,000 goals, but it seems that now everything is easy, just last month I reached 900.

‘It’s about living in the moment, seeing how my legs will respond in the next few years. If I reach 1,000 goals, that’s fine, but if I don’t, I’m already the player with the most goals in history.’