Rio Ferdinand has admitted that he was a nervous wreck during his first proper meeting with legendary Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
Ferdinand, who is the latest inductee to the Premier League Hall of Fame, clocked up over 450 appearances and won six Premier League titles after moving to Old Trafford from Leeds United in a £30million deal back in 2002.
The 44-year-old, who became the most expensive British defender in history at the time, was a mainstay in the Manchester United side that dominated domestically under the guidance of Ferguson. And Ferdinand has paid tribute to the main main after joining his old boss in the Hall of Fame.
Speaking about his historic move to United, Ferdinand said: “One of the biggest things on the day was meeting Sir Alex properly. I had met him before, in the car park at West Ham … I was fumbling all over the place. He’s got an aura.
“You hear about the stories of how ferocious he is in the changing room so there’s instant respect, instant fear. He’s great at making people a bit calmer because he understands his impact on people. One of his great traits is softening the room when it needs to be.
“I was coming for a massive fee; it was a world record fee at the time [for a defender]. The most nervous I’ve ever been for Manchester United was the first day of training because you want to prove to your peers that you’re good enough.
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“You’ve got to remember the players they had. Roy Keane, Ryan Giggs, Sebastián Verón, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Paul Scholes, the Nevilles, Nicky Butt. You’re sitting there and going: 'Wow, the ridiculous amounts of silverware these guys have won – I haven’t won anything!'”
Although Ferdinand had, in his words, not won anything at the time of his move to Manchester United, he went on to become one of the most decorated defenders in Premier League history during his illustrious 12-year spell at Old Trafford.
After winning a 15-man public vote, Ferdinand becomes just the 17th person to be inducted into the Premier League Hall of Game. Upon learning of the honour, Ferdinand said: “As a defender, I'm not used to celebrating personal glory – we leave that to the midfielders and strikers.
“It’s a great feeling to be recognised by my peers as well as the fans. To be inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame alongside such a high calibre of players and to be able to say that I achieved my dream is special. The Premier League is the holy grail, and I just can’t believe I made it.”
