"I drew strength from the gaffer who told me I could return as the best defender in the world," said Ferdinand, who joined the Reds for £30m.
"It was hard, it was lonely and it hurt like hell. I felt like a child who goes to all his school lessons but isn't allowed out at break time.
"My friends told me `Look at Eric Cantona - when he got banned, he came back an even better player.' I was determined to do the same."
And on the title:
"All this talk that United have fallen behind Chelsea and Arsenal is wide of the mark."
It’s a love-in as Fergie says:
"Rio has been in incredible form. He's come to the maturity that you get when you reach your mid-twenties. You see that in his consistency of performance.
"That maturity over the next five or six years is going to make him probably the best centre-back this club has ever had. No doubt about it, even compared to Bruce and Pally."