Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has admitted he fears the relationship between Cristiano Ronaldo and Gary Neville may have suffered a complete breakdown - with the former allegedly ignoring the Sky Sports pundit's phone calls.
As Ronaldo made his way out of the Old Trafford tunnel to warm up for the clash against West Ham, he made a point to stop for a quick chat with former Red Devils forward Louis Saha who was on punditry duty for Sky Sports. After speaking to Saha, Ronaldo also shook hands and warmly greeted Jamie Redknapp, but run straight past Neville.
The ex-United right-back looked uncomfortable as he may have been anticipating a handshake that Ronaldo was clearly in no mood for. It is thought that the 37-year-old is unhappy with recent comments made by Neville, who suggested United are better off without their iconic number seven.
Ferdinand conceded, while speaking to his Vibe with Five YouTube channel, that he would be surprised to see Ronaldo end the rift anytime soon.
"I don't think Cristiano is taking that call [if Neville calls him]. Knowing Cristiano it's gone, isn't it? You've said what you said and believe what you believe," the former England defender explained.
"I think what I would have done differently if I was recreating that scenario, I would maybe have gone and shook a couple of hands and said: 'You talk too much, see you later' and then gone. Just a little jab in there.
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"They would have [crossed paths], [Neville] would have gone to the gantry straightaway, you're not going to go and search out someone when you're preparing for a game. I see why people are saying he didn't need to do that but from a player's perspective, no player is happy when a pundit is criticising them."
Ferdinand actually went on to make the bold claim that Ronaldo's decision to ignore his old teammate would have been 'pre-meditated', while also poking fun at Neville for 'looking nervous' as the forward approached the trio of pundits.
Perhaps more surprisingly, Ferdinand appeared to suggest he agreed with the way Ronaldo operated by admitting he'd have done something similar had he been subject to the same criticism.
The United legend added that while constructive criticism is tolerable, Neville may have gone too far by claiming the club should part ways with Ronaldo by cashing in on the Portugal skipper.
Ferdinand explained how he would use those comments as fuel and conceded he'd have harboured negative energy towards any member of the media who analysed his game in a similar way.
Ronaldo's United future is almost certainly going to remain a huge talking point as the January transfer window edges closer.
