‘Ferdinand is a fantastic addition to the squad. What stood out for me was listening to him at the press conference just after he had signed. He said that when he finished his career he wanted to be able to talk about what he had done and not what he had missed out on. I don’t think he could have forgiven himself if he had not signed for United,’ Neville said in his Times column.
That is not me being big-headed about the club I play for. Leeds United are a big club themselves, but, if you have played at Old Trafford and won trophies here, you truly believe that there can be no greater place in the world. It took courage for Rio to say that he wanted to leave Leeds to further himself, but he would have regretted it, possibly for the rest of his career, if he had not taken that step.
I rate him as the best centre half in the country and I don’t think anyone could disagree after his performances for England at the World Cup finals. Before long, I expect him to be the best defender in the world, but that does not mean that we can look to him to solve the defensive problems of last season. Quite the opposite. It is up to those of us who have been at the club for a few years to help him to settle in rather than waiting for him to put it all right.’