Rio Ferdinand now takes strength training seriously, but during his playing career he shied away from heavy weightlifting over fears it would leave him sluggish on the pitch.
The former defender also had to contend with a back issue for the latter part of his career, limiting his opportunities to lift heavy.
But not all of his teammates were in the same position. In a recent Instagram video, Ferdinand shared the names of his Manchester United teammates who were seriously strong when they played together 20 years ago.
As the club continued winning trophies on the pitch, players were constantly pushing each other during training and even in the weights room – with Ferdinand marvelling at some of the strength on display.
Naturally, Wayne Rooney’s strength stands out. Rooney – or Wazza, as Ferdinand refers to him – relied a lot on his power during games. It’s an attribute that was well-documented. But Ferdinand suggests two less expected players would surprise a few in the gym.
‘Wazza – he could walk in the gym and do 110kg bench press without a warm-up, easy. [He] just naturally [had] caveman strength,’ Ferdinand said.
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‘Nani was another one. Nani was naturally – he was tiny, but he was another who could come in and do 100kg bench. He’s got natural power. Pound-for-pound, I’d put Nani and Patrice [Evra] up there strength-wise. Pat was mad strong and athletic, but Nani had that… he would do 10 sit-ups and get a cramp, but he still had a 10-pack.’
Standing at 5ft 10in and known for being more of a flair player than one possessing real strength, Portuguese winger Nani played for Manchester United for eight years between 2007 and 2015 and would often show off his athleticism by performing backflips during celebrations. Even though his strength may have been less obvious, Nani has previously showed off his physique – most notably while playing for Orlando City in 2019.
Sharing an Instagram post showing off his ripped physique in the gym, Nani wrote, ‘Trying my bodybuilding moves.’
Patrice Evra, meanwhile, is another who still trains hard even in retirement. Walking MH through a full-body session involving isometric exercises, sled pushes, kettlebell swings and box jumps, the Frenchman explained his approach to fitness.
‘This isn’t for the cameras. This is real life. This is what I do every day,’ he said.
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Ryan is a Senior Writer at Men’s Health UK with a passion for storytelling, health and fitness. Having graduated from Cardiff University in 2020, and later obtaining his NCTJ qualification, Ryan started his career as a Trainee News Writer for sports titles Golf Monthly, Cycling Weekly and Rugby World before progressing to Staff Writer and subsequently Senior Writer with football magazine FourFourTwo.
During his two-and-a-half years there he wrote news stories for the website and features for the magazine, while he also interviewed names such as Les Ferdinand, Ally McCoist, Jamie Redknapp and Antonio Rudiger, among many others. His standout memory, though, came when getting the opportunity to speak to then-Plymouth Argyle manager Steven Schumacher as the club won League One in 2023.
Having grown up a keen footballer and playing for his boyhood side until the age of 16, Ryan got the opportunity to represent Northern Ireland national futsal team eight times, scoring three goals against England, Scotland and Gibraltar. Now past his peak, Ryan prefers to mix weightlifting with running – he achieved a marathon PB of 3:31:49 at Manchester in April 2025, but credits the heat for failing to get below the coveted 3:30 mark…
You can follow Ryan on Instagram @ryan.dabbs or on X @ryandabbs_
