Man Utd star who turned up for coaching in flash Ferrari received it ‘smashed with footballs’
Rio Ferdinand explained how one former Manchester United team-mate’s decision to turn up to training in his flash Ferrari backfired massively
Rio Ferdinand revealed how the Manchester United squad reacted when Phil Neville arrived for training in a Ferrari.
Ferdinand joined United in 2002, playing alongside Phil in the Old Trafford defence until he joined Everton in 2005. During their time together, Ferdinand was left shocked when the younger Neville brother arrived to training not so inconspicuously.
The full-back, who turned 48 on Tuesday, pulled up in the Carrington car park in his new Ferrari supercar, an uncommon sight during Sir Alex Ferguson’s legendary tenure, even more so for a Neville.
And they soon let him know their thoughts on the matter, as Ferdinand recalled on his podcast Rio Presents. The Red Devils legend said: “I remember Phil Neville turned up in a Ferrari once. Phil Neville. The Neville should not turn up anywhere in a Ferrari, alright?
“He turned up in a Ferrari once and his car got smashed with balls, like 10, 15, 20 yards away. Lads were banging balls at it, kicking balls up in the sky for it to drop on the car. Like, ‘what are you doing?’ That’s just a subtle way of saying, ‘sell that car, now’.”
Ferdinand had been discussing United’s potential signing of Ronaldinho alongside the club’s former chief executive Peter Kenyon, who explained how he could’ve arrived in the summer of 2003 as well as a young Cristiano Ronaldo.
After talks with United, the Brazilian icon instead left PSG to join Barcelona. Kenyon feels that ultimately worked out positively for United, who weren’t used to making signings of that ilk.
He told Ferdinand: “I think on reflection we did better without him, because coming back to culture, to what Manchester United was, it was a special team, a special environment. Ok people went out, but they didn’t party every night, they didn’t come to training late.
“United was bigger than any player in the world at that stage. We had conversations, Alex and I – United was so special, the best player in the world couldn’t necessarily just walk onto Old Trafford and play.”
Kenyon pointed out a shift in transfer approach from the days of Fergie’s tenure, with Ferdinand agreeing. “I think that’s part of the problem today,” the 70-year-old continued.
“It’s not about the best players are the ones you pay more money for or you pay more wages. That doesn’t mean they’re the best player for you. Every time an agent rings me, ‘I’ve got the best left-back’. Well, he might be, but he might not be the best left-back for us. And the best teams work that out.”
