When Ferdinand walked through the doors of Old Trafford after joining for a then British record ?29.1million fee in 2002, he said his time at United would be measured by trophies.
"There are not many players who leave this club doing exactly what they want to do," he said ahead of Wednesday night's trip to Wigan. "It wouldn't be good finishing your career with a loss, or by not winning something."
But it is not just the ones that got away which rankle, it's the knowledge that at some point in the not-too-distant future, his career will come to an end.
He added: "I am not thinking about retirement. I am trying to play as long as I can. I have another year after this and I want to do another 10. But whenever it is, I would want to go out on a high note."
His haul is pretty impressive. He has won the Champions League, Club World Cup, two Carling Cups and a sixth Premier League title is seemingly on its way, with United eight points clear.
It has long been suggested Ferdinand could end his playing days in Major League Soccer. More recently, the growing impact of the Chinese League has been said to hold an allure. Sir Alex Ferguson still believes Ferdinand has a significant role to play as an elder statesman at United though.
Having already been at West Ham and Leeds, a decade ago, Old Trafford seemed like just another stepping stone for the most stylish England defender of his generation. But Ferdinand insists that was never his intention.
"My association with the club will be there forever," he said. "Moving on was never in my mind. That first press conference, when I walked through the doors of the club, seeing the manager, seeing the pictures of all the old players, I grasped it straightaway.
"I wanted to be part of the history of this club and to do that I have to stay here for a good amount of time. I achieved that and hopefully I have a few more chapters."
Source: PA
Source: PA