Rio Ferdinand has revealed he sat in Leeds United chairman Peter Ridsdale's office for six hours to force through his transfer to Manchester United in 2002. The former England defender, then 24, made it clear he would go public with his desire to leave if the club blocked the move.
Ferdinand, who had joined Leeds for a British record £18m two years earlier, was aware of United's interest. He said on BT Sport: 'I went and sat in Mr Ridsdale's office and just sat there and waited for about five, six hours and said I'm not going until you sort out the deal for me to go to Man Utd.' The stand-off ended with Ridsdale agreeing a £30m fee, making Ferdinand the world's most expensive defender.
Leeds had initially slapped a £30m price tag on Ferdinand, and Ridsdale later wrote that he believed a Sun interview in which Ferdinand claimed he did not want to leave was genuine. However, Ferdinand later admitted: 'You know that was for the supporters... me and you both know I'm off!'
Ferdinand's move angered Leeds fans, and his return to Elland Road two months later was met with jeers as Harry Kewell scored the winner for Leeds. The defender went on to win six Premier League titles at Old Trafford, but he justified his actions by saying players have a short window to be successful and must make 'selfish' decisions.
