By GETHIN HICKS, TRAINEE REPORTER
Published: | Updated:
Rio Ferdinand has named the former player who regularly leaves a WhatsApp group consisting of Manchester United‘s iconic late-2000s squad, before always asking to be re-added.
The South Londoner, now 46, wrote his name in Red Devils history winning everything there is to win during his 12 years at Old Trafford.
But the highlight of his United career was likely the club’s victorious 2007-08 Champions League campaign, where Sir Alex Ferguson‘s side overcame Chelsea on penalties in the final.
Ferdinand ultimately left Old Trafford for Queens Park Rangers in 2015, retiring after just one year in west London.
But the ballplaying centre-back has never lost contact with his old United team-mates, who all still talk regularly on a WhatsApp group created by Ferdinand himself.
He spoke about the star-studded group during an interview with The National this week, saying: ‘It’s more the 2008 era than some of the younger ones.
Rio Ferdinand has opened up about a WhatsApp group he created consisting of Man United’s Champions League winning team of 2008
The former England international won all there is to win during his 12 years at Old Trafford
‘Edwin [Van der Sar] recently joined it. Nemanja [Vidic] was in it and he walked out because there was too much going on. Just deleted himself.
‘Patrice comes in and out because someone says something Patrice doesn’t like, he just deletes himself and then asks me to come back in because I’m the admin.
‘Wazza [Wayne Rooney], the De Silva twins [Fabio and Rafael], Ashley Young, [Danny] Welbeck, Tom Cleverley, Fletch [Darren Fletcher], Sheasy [John O’Shea]. [Michael] Carrick, Quinny, everyone, all the lads are in it. From that era really.’
Ferdinand, who also played for West Ham and Leeds United, previously revealed the topic of discussion in the old boys chat, which he said is called ‘Band of Brothers’.
The United legends apparently use the group to vent their frustrations about the current crop of Red Devils players, who led the club to a 15th placed Premier League finish last term.
‘We hammer each other,’ Ferdinand said on his YouTube channel Rio Ferdinand Presents.
‘It’s active constantly. Wazza was the last person who spoke in there. It’s called Band of Brothers. I can’t tell you the next bit, it won’t make the cut. It’s just hammering the United team.
‘Look, lads are just hammering them through the game. “He’s not good enough”, I love it. It just keeps me connected to the lads.’
Ferdinand said Patrice Evra regularly leaves the group before begging to be added back
Other members of the group include Wayne Rooney, John O’Shea, Nemanja Vidic and Edwin Van der Sar, according to Ferdinand
Ferdinand has spent much of his post-football career working as a pundit for TNT Sports covering both the Premier League and the Champions League.
But he surprised footballs fans earlier this summer with the announced that he was leaving the role after more than a decade.
The father-of-five also opened up about his decision to put down the microphone this week, saying: ‘I wanted a new chapter and I’ve been doing TNT since I retired for the last 10-11 years.
‘When I made the decision, I thought, “this must be 30 years when my life is driven by the fixture list”. Not now.
‘I’m not leaving football, but it’s just not the governing body of my life now. I’ve got to be honest, it feels nice.’
