Ferdinand responds to Gary Neville calling Arsenal defender William Saliba a ‘young Rio’

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Rio Ferdinand has responded to Gary Neville claiming that Arsenal defender William Saliba reminded him of a ‘young Rio’.

The 21-year-old central defender finally got his chance in the Premier League against Crystal Palace on the opening day of the new season, and he was magnificent.

He barely put a foot wrong throughout the game, and deservedly won the Man of the Match award. Jamie Carragher and Mikel Arteta were full of praise for Saliba after the match, but it was Neville’s comments that caught everyone’s eye.

He said on Sky Sports, as quoted by The Sun: “I was massively impressed by him. He reminded me of a young Rio Ferdinand. He’s such a young defender at 21. Getting through that second half, when Arsenal weren’t at their best, would have been the most pleasing thing for Mikel Arteta.”

Ferdinand responds to Gary Neville calling William Saliba a ‘young Rio’

Asked about Gary Neville’s comments, Ferdinand said on Vibe With Five: “How many Premier League games has he played? How many Premier League games had I played at that point? I broke the British transfer record at that time and people are drawing comparisons? It’s a madness (he laughs)!

“Give the boy some time! He’s doing well. But you don’t judge players when it’s all going well you say brilliant, I like to see the next phase.

“When it goes against you, I still want to see the chest popping out, I still want to see the shoulders back, I still want to see you wanting the ball and I still want to see you on the front foot, showing that determination and desire.

“But Saliba is showing a lot of potential, he has got a lot to do to make sure he stays in the team, but he has started off very very well.”

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Saliba has been sensational and there definitely are a few similarities in his game that remind us all of Ferdinand in his early days. However, the Manchester United legend is absolutely right.

The Arsenal man is still only 21 years old. He has been in the spotlight for a long, long time now, but following his performance against Crystal Palace on the opening day, everybody’s eyes are on him.

Arteta and co will have to protect Saliba from all the expectations from fans, pundits and the media. The youngster needs to keep his feet on the ground and continue to work hard.

If he does, he could go on to become a world-class defender for Arsenal in the coming years.