Pictured: Cristiano Ronaldo stuns Cheshire residents by joining local gym

Cristiano Ronaldo has surprised fellow Cheshire residents by joining his local gym - albeit an exclusive, £255 per month gym - and working out there in addition to sessions at Manchester United’s training ground, and his own private space at home.

Ronaldo, 37, and the most prolific goalscorer in the history of the elite professional game, has been spotted most days this week at Cpase health club in Knutsford, deep in the heart of the high-end area of Cheshire beloved of footballers in the north-west. He has been training there with his partner, the Spanish model Georgina Rodriguez. Ronaldo posted a picture on Instagram of himself and his son Cristiano junior in the gym’s cryotherapy chamber.

Ronaldo has a contract at United for another year and all the signs thus far have been that he will do another season at Old Trafford under new manager Erik ten Hag. The Dutchman described Ronaldo as “a giant” in his only remarks so far on the player. “We have to make them function as a team but definitely Ronaldo,” Ten Hag said this week.

Perhaps with that in mind, Ronaldo is said to have been working extremely hard in his visits to the gym. The Cpase health club - full name Clare’s Space boutique health club - was opened in October by Clare Stobart, a member of the Stobart family that founded the eponymous haulage business.

The gym has proved popular among the Cheshire set encompassing footballers and their wives and other local celebrities. That has included England and Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers, and former Manchester City goalkeeper Shay Given. The former England cricketer Andrew Flintoff also uses the gym. Membership is capped at around 800.