Legendary Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand spent more than a decade strutting his stuff under Sir Alex Ferguson for Manchester United, but has come clean and made a forthright admission about Pep Guardiola and rivals Manchester City.
Ferdinand has bluntly revealed in full candor that if he could have worked under one other manager in the world, it would undoubtedly have been Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola.
The former United defender spent 12 years at Old Trafford working with Sir Alex Ferguson and David Moyes, winning six Premier League titles as well as two League Cups, one Champions League and the FIFA Club World Cup.
Despite these glittering achievements, Ferdinand believes he would have been an ideal fit in Guardiola’s style, which has taken the man whom many regard as the quintessential coach and manager in the world from Barcelona and Bayern Munich to Manchester City.
“Pep Guardiola,” Ferdinand replied unhesitantly when asked by Robbie Savage on 606 about who he would like to have worked under.
“The way that he coaches would have suited me perfectly. I would have loved to have played under him in a way that you start the attacks.
“I used to come off the pitch sometimes and me and (Nemanja) Vidic would have been walking down the tunnel and we’ve won three or four nil and I’m fuming.
“He’s asking me what’s wrong and I’m saying I hadn’t touched the ball. He’d say: ‘Rio, we’ve won, what are you talking about, we’re happy, we’ve had nothing to do’. I’ve come to play football, mate, I don’t want to just stand there.”
“So in Pep’s team, it’s all about building from the back, dominating possession and having loads of the ball. I would have loved to sit in the changing room as a fly on the wall and just listen to him.”
That’s as good and fitting a tribute as any that any top flight player could pay to a coach!