Manchester United coach Phil Neville has revealed that some of his former team-mates used to take aggressive action to curb Cristiano Ronaldo's habit of diving.

Ex-United midfielders Roy Keane, Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt took it upon themselves to try to physically kick that affliction out of the current Real Madrid star's DNA.

“The boys were hard on him for his diving and it was putting us under pressure. In training at the time you had Keane, Butt, Scholes, and every time he got the ball they kicked him – not just once, but every day, every week, all season.”

Neville believes that treatment helped Ronaldo become the goal machine that he is today. But he also says Ronaldo's work ethic was just as important, echoing comments made by Keane in the past.

Ashley Young will be relieved that those players have now retired after generating some controversy of his own this season.