Blog: Simply the best?
Is Rio Ferdinand Manchester United’s greatest ever centre-back?
It’s a simple question that has prompted a thoughtful response ahead of his Old Trafford testimonial on Friday evening, when thousands of Reds will honour one of the most trophy-laden careers of any player in the club’s illustrious history.
Admittedly, I opened this discussion during recent interviews with Rio’s former team-mates and managers, all set up to gather words of praise for a handsome feature in his official testimonial programme. However, after speaking to defining characters from various stages of his career, a familiar theme became unavoidable.
It turns out everybody from Harry Redknapp to Steve McClaren cites Ferdinand as the best of his generation. But it was John O'Shea who made me seriously consider my own question. “Fans ask where Rio ranks amongst the great United defenders, and I have to say he's got to be up there,” he explained. “It's difficult to compare different generations but you can't argue with his medal collection. There are few better.” John was right, too.
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