It’s difficult for Manchester United to avoid looking back at the Sir Alex Ferguson era, especially having seen the club now go 11 years without a Premier League title.
Robin van Persie’s stunning volley against Aston Villa wrapped up the Premier League title in 2013 but few would have expected that to be one of the final moments of the Ferguson era.
Ferguson retired just weeks later and United have struggled to get back to top spot in the Premier League ever since.
Ineos will be looking to bring that level of success back to Old Trafford but for now, the reminiscing over the Ferguson era will continue.
You can be sure that United fans everywhere will have discussed their favourite players from the Ferguson era – and they will have been spoiled for choice.
Roy Keane will feature prominently in any of those conversations despite his rift with Ferguson, and his impact around the club is still talked about to this day.
Roy Keane blasted Manchester United star in training
The Irishman’s no-nonsense approach has continued from the pitch into punditry and some of the stories about his time at United are the stuff of legend.
Former United defender Rio Ferdinand has now added another story to the mix whilst speaking on Stick to Football.
Ferdinand noted that Keane absolutely blasted him in training very shortly after joining United from rivals Leeds United.
The central defender only played a simple pass to Gary Neville in one training session but that was enough for Keane to go mad.
Keane blasted Ferdinand, telling him to ‘take some responsibility’ on the ball and reminding him that he wasn’t playing for Leeds or West Ham United anymore and needed to show more.
Ferdinand was a little bemused at first but with the benefit of hindsight, he can accept that Keane was actually right.
“Sometimes you need people to kind of influence you,” said Ferdinand. “I remember about Roy, when I signed, you were the captain, I remember playing a ball to Gary in training, a simple 5-10 yarder, and he went mad. He said ‘take some responsibility, pass it, don’t just keep giving it the simple pass, you’re not at Leeds and West Ham now’. I was sitting there thinking… ‘ease me in man’, but he was right,” he added.
Rio Ferdinand one of Sir Alex Ferguson’s best signings
Ferdinand cost United £29.1million way back in 2002 having impressed for Leeds United and went on to rack up more than 450 appearances for the club.
The England international was hit with an eight-month suspension for missing a drug test in 2003 but he returned to become arguably the Premier League’s best defender.
Ferdinand’s speed made him a nightmare for any attacker and his ball-playing ability was simply ahead of its time.
£29.1million was a British record at the time and Ferdinand became the world’s most expensive defender for the second time with his move to United.
That fee was certainly justified with Ferdinand stepping up to the plate at United, no doubt with more than a little encouragement from Keane along the way.