Rio Ferdinand reveals ’10-15 Manchester United fans in hoodies and balaclavas’ arrived at his HOUSE in 2005 to pressure him into signing a new contract at Old Trafford
- Rio Ferdinand’s talks on a new Manchester United deal were dragging in 2004
- The discussions prompted a small number of fans to go to Ferdinand’s house
- Ferdinand signed a new deal in the end, playing for United for 12 years
Rio Ferdinand has revealed that a small number of die-hard Manchester United fans turned up at his house in ‘balaclavas and hoodies’ to pressure him into signing a new deal back in 2005.
Ferdinand was in talks with United and the then manager Sir Alex Ferguson over penning a new contract at Old Trafford but those discussions had started to drag.
It was then, Ferdinand says, that a small number of supporters tried to influence those negotiations themselves.
Rio Ferdinand (left) enjoyed 12 trophy-laden years at Manchester United during his career
But speaking on his FIVE podcast, he revealed fans tried to pressure him to sign a new contract
Speaking on his FIVE YouTube channel, Ferdinand explained: ‘I was in my house one day and all of a sudden the bell rings. And someone put their hand over, so I couldn’t see the actual camera, couldn’t see who was on it.
‘So I thought, “Who’s this cheeky rat? Let me go outside and have a row – whatever it is – don’t take liberties coming to my house.”
‘So I jumped on the wall next to my gate, looked over the gate and there’s about 10, 15 people there – guys with balaclavas and hoodies on.
‘I’m thinking, “What, they’ve come to rob my house?” And then, luckily, one of them shouted, “Just sign the contract!”‘
Ferdinand said that he felt relieved to learn that they were only there because of football and not for anything more sinister, but he still wasn’t impressed at being bothered at home.
‘I got a bit of confidence thinking, “They’re not going to rob my house, it’s just about the football,”‘ Ferdinand continued.
‘I said, “What you coming to my house for? If I followed your missus home and sat outside your house and waited outside with all my mates, would you be happy? No you wouldn’t. Don’t come to my house – you don’t go to Becks’ [David Beckham’s] house or Roy Keane’s house, but you’re coming here? What’s wrong with you?”
Ferdinand said he spoke to the fans who trooped round to his house and told them he’d stay
Ferdinand eventually signed a deal and went on to win the Champions League in 2008
‘To be fair, I said to them, “At the end of the day, I’m gonna re-sign, I’m gonna stay. I don’t want to go nowhere else, but I’m negotiating – let me negotiate.”‘
Ferdinand, who now works as a BT Sport pundit, was true to his word. He soon signed a four-year extension at United and throughout his overall tenure in Manchester, he played 455 times across 12 years.
He lifted 14 trophies at the club, including six Premier League titles and the 2008 Champions League.
Nowadays, United legend Ferdinand works as a pundit with BT Sport covering matches
