'An absolute disgrace!' - Wayne Rooney brands former Man Utd strike partner as 'worst trainer' he ever saw in his career

Tevez arrived in Manchester in 2007 after helping West Ham avoid Premier League relegation. The Argentine quickly established himself as a fan favourite, blending seamlessly into Sir Alex Ferguson's side. He became a crucial component of a formidable attacking quartet that featured Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Dimitar Berbatov.

During his two-year stint, Tevez helped the Red Devils secure six trophies, including consecutive league crowns and the 2008 Champions League. His legacy was ultimately complicated by a controversial switch to bitter rivals Manchester City.

Speaking on the Stick to United podcast alongside Berbatov, Rooney offered a blunt assessment of his former colleague's habits behind the scenes. The former England skipper admitted that their approaches to practice varied drastically.

"We were all different profiles of players," Rooney explained. "For instance, if you looked at Tevez in training he was an absolute disgrace. He was the worst trainer I’d ever seen in my life! But then as a team-mate or the manager, we would accept it because he would go on the pitch and put all his energy on the pitch which was great."

Rooney also shed light on their off-pitch dynamic. Despite a language barrier, the pair found ways to connect during shared commutes, even as they battled for a spot in the starting XI.

"There was competition between us all to play," Rooney added. "Berbatov was quite quiet, Tevez couldn’t really speak much English. It was interesting actually, I used to pick Tevez up from his house and sometimes we’d go to the airport for Champions League games because it was nearby, but somehow we managed to have a conversation. It was weird!

"I probably had the best relationship with Cristiano out of those three forwards in terms of having banter and stuff like that. But when you’re on the pitch you have to recognise who you’re playing with, what their strengths are, what their weaknesses are."

Elite clubs must constantly evolve to maintain dominance, a philosophy Ferguson mastered. Rooney pointed out that United never rested on their laurels, using the 2008 acquisition of Berbatov as a prime example of building from a position of strength.

"Where United were then with Sir Alex Ferguson, we’d just won the Premier League, we won the Champions League and then we go and sign him [Berbatov] to improve on what we’ve got and achieved," Rooney detailed. "That’s how successful teams continue to be successful. We’ve seen it now with Arsenal this year, they won the Premier League and then go and sign quality players to improve on what they’ve got.

"That’s the place United were in but for us, as players, it would be weird if we didn’t do that. We’d be thinking, 'Who are we signing? Why aren’t we signing anyone?', because that just keeps pushing you. That’s why players can play so long at that level at that football club: Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes… they’ve seen players come and go and players who were meant to take their place. But it gives you that drive to say, 'We’ve signed Berbatov now… we’ve got four unbelievable forwards', so you needed to be at your best."

Both Rooney and Tevez have long since hung up their boots, moving into the managerial realm following their illustrious playing careers. While their paths have diverged since those trophy-laden days, tales from their shared era continue to underline the ruthless, elite environment that defined Ferguson's reign.