Rio Ferdinand shares what he sometimes regrets about staying at Manchester United for most of his playing career

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Manchester United have had some of the best footballers of all time on their books over their 147-year history.

From the legends of yesteryear like Bobby Charlton and George Best to more contemporary icons like Roy Keane and Ryan Giggs, fans across generations have been able to see quality players at Old Trafford.

Rio Ferdinand is among Manchester United’s contemporary legends, having made upwards of 450 appearances for the club and winning a multitude of trophies.

However, Ferdinand has now shared what he sometimes regrets about having played for the Red Devils for most of his career, particularly in his prime.

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Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand sometimes wishes he had played for a Real Madrid, Barcelona or Bayern Munich

Ferdinand, speaking on Rio Ferdinand Presents, explained how he sometimes wishes he had gone to play for one of continental Europe’s big clubs during his career.

He acknowledged that he did so well at Man United over the years, but he said he does sometimes feel regret at not having tried his luck at a Real Madrid, Barcelona or Bayern Munich.

“That’s one thing I do regret… it’s weird, I regret it and I don’t regret it because I’ve done so well at Man United and I kept winning.

“But some parts of me when I go to the Bernabeu, when you go to the Camp Nou, when you go to the Allianz Arena, I do sometimes think, ‘I wish I’d just gone for two years”.

Ferdinand also shared what Liverpool legend John Barnes said to him as a youngster about the same subject.

“John Barnes said to me when I was really young, he said: ‘Listen, don’t do what I had done and miss the opportunity to go'”.

Rio Ferdinand’s career

Ferdinand was born in 1978 and played for several youth clubs in his formative days before linking up with West Ham’s academy in 1995.

He starred for the Hammers, making upwards of 120 appearances for them, before moving to Leeds in 2000 for a fee of £18million.

The fee was a British transfer record at time, and it also made Ferdinand the world’s most expensive defender, though he had lost that title to Lilian Thuram in 2001.

In 2002, Ferdinand joined Man United for £29million, becoming the most expensive British footballer in history at the time and the world’s most expensive defender for a second time.

It proved a superb move as Ferdinand went from strength to strength under Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford and won a multitude of trophies in the 12 years he was at the club.

Ferdinand won six Premier League titles, a Champions League, two League Cups, four Community Shields and a Club World Cup during his time at Old Trafford.

In 2014, Man United opted not to renew Ferdinand’s contract, and he left on a free transfer to join Queens Park Rangers, spending a year there before retiring in 2015.

John Terry recently deemed Ferdinand one of the best Premier League defenders of all time.

Even though Ferdinand may not have played for one of continental Europe’s top clubs, his time at Man United was certainly fruitful, even on the continental level.