Rio Ferdinand reveals ‘gobsmacked’ Man Utd legend was ‘almost in tears’ over Ferguson retirement | OneFootball

Sir Alex Ferguson won 13 Premier League titles over the course of a 26-year spell as Manchester United manager.

Rio Ferdinand has revealed Manchester United team-mate Robin van Persie was “gobsmacked” and close to tears after Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement.

Last year marked a full decade since Ferguson rocked the football world by announcing his retirement in May 2013, with Manchester United confirming the news days ahead of his final match at Old Trafford against Swansea City.

Ferguson delivered an emotional speech on the Old Trafford pitch before United were officially presented with the Premier League trophy – the last of 13 league titles secured by the Scot over the course of his 26 years in charge – before he bowed out seven days later with a dramatic 5-5 draw with West Bromwich Albion.

Man Utd have failed to win the Premier League title in the years since, having appointed five different permanent managers – David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and current incumbent Erik ten Hag – since Ferguson’s retirement.

Ferguson’s exit came less than a year after United signed Van Persie from Arsenal, with the Dutch forward excited to work with the long-serving Man Utd manager.

Appearing on the Obi One podcast alongside former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel, Ferdinand recalled how the news of Ferguson’s retirement spread around the playing squad – and revealed Van Persie was hit hardest the bombshell.

He said: “The WhatsApp messages started getting crazy the night before the news hit the media. And in the morning, everyone is texting each other that the manager is leaving.

“I’ll never forget the moment. The air almost sapped out of the changing room, and everyone just looked at each other.

“I remember that Robin Van Persie signed because the manager was there. I remember looking at him straight away and he was almost in tears.

“Although he had hardly a season with the manager, he adored the gaffer. The guy was gobsmacked.”

The retirement of Ferdinand’s Man Utd and England team-mate Paul Scholes coincided with Ferguson’s exit in May 2013, with the defender hailing Scholes as the greatest player he played with.

“I could give the ball to Scholesy and shout a name. He wouldn’t look, but still be able to find them.

“He would do crazy stuff and even opposing players were going to me: ‘Does he do this every day?’

“It was like we were at the cinema watching someone perform. What I loved about him is he could dictate a game, decide a game and he got other people playing better.

“So those elements are where you think: ‘Wow!’

“He would never be ruffled in any situation. I thought he was a genius.”