Legendary Man United defender reveals how Sir Alex Ferguson’s advice saved him from becoming the club’s ‘Dennis Rodman’ | OneFootball

Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand recalls his early ‘wild days’ at the club which required a timely intervention from Sir Alex Ferguson himself.

The Englishman started his career at West Ham United and then took his playing levels to new heights during his time at Leeds United, prompting the Red Devils to splash £30 million for his signature in the summer of 2002, thus making him the most expensive defender at the time.

The 46-year-old spent 12 years at Carrington, cementing himself as a club legend after winning a host of trophies, including six Premier League titles and a Champions League. He also formed an iconic partnership at the back with Nemanja Vidic.

Nevertheless, Ferdinand admitted his career could have gone wayward had he succumbed to his renowned appetite for partying.

Therefore, Ferguson had to intervene, urging the player to avoid becoming the ‘Dennis Rodman’ of the team, in a reference to the former Chicago Bulls star who played alongside the likes of Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, but was a bona fide party animal.

“At one point it would be me (Being the ‘Dennis Rodman of the team’) as I loved it (Going on a night out) I loved it,” said the former England international on his podcast, Rio Ferdinand Presents.

“You have to remember that when I was at West Ham it was probably the worst environment to grow up in, it was ‘win or lose, have a booze, if you draw, have some more’.

“The team bus on the way home was like a pub, it was unbelievable right, so everyone was drinking, smoking and me and Frank Lampard used to look back going ‘one day we’ll be back there with those guys’ and then I go to Leeds and the professionalism jumps up, but we still went out.

“It was ok because there wasn’t a game for 48-hours or more, so we went out at the ‘right’ times, but we went out and had good, solid all-dayers.

Rio Ferdinand reveals influential advice from Sir Alex Ferguson

“Anyway then I signed with United and, I know from being with England that the United guys liked a drink, but they were really conditioned and professional at the right times, not crazy, like, doing it four times a week.

“So I get there and when I first signed I got injured in a pre-season game before the season started and I was out for six weeks.

“I went out every night, I wanted to see what the atmosphere was like, what the vibes were like.

“But the manager found out and slowed me down with one comment: ‘You want to stay here? You better watch what you do.'”

Ferdinand eventually realized that his more experienced teammates at the time had adopted a much more quiet lifestyle, which made him think.

“I’d been going out four times a week for six weeks, right, and the people in the restaurants knew my name.

“In the bars, they knew me and I was getting tables, this that and the other, I really immersed myself in the culture of Manchester like you should do when you go to a new club.

“And then I realised if I wanted to be successful, as I’m going in half-cut when training starts thinking ‘ Gary Neville ain’t going out, Scholesy (Paul Scholes) ain’t going out, Roy’s (Roy Keane) not going out, Ruud van Nistelrooy’s not going out’ and the sessions are sharp man.

“Every day, I had to curb that and become much more professional, fit in with the guys, and then my game got better and I grew into a better player.”

Ferdinand hung up his boots in 2015 following a one-year stint at QPR.