Rio Ferdinand has claimed that one Manchester City player must put an end to one habit that Juan Sebastian Veron had during his spell at Manchester United.
While Veron was considered a world-class player at Lazio and for Argentina, his time at Old Trafford is considered a huge letdown.
The retired midfielder’s spell at Chelsea was far more impressive as well but when he signed for United in 2001, they had won three successive Premier League titles. Yet, Veron failed to elevate what was the best team in the country.
Like Juan Sebastian Veron, Manchester City also have several creative players like Phil Foden and Jack Grealish, for instance.
Rio Ferdinand drops Juan Sebastian Veron claim while discussing Phil Foden
While Grealish must be tuning into the European Championship, reflecting on what he can do to reclaim his place in England’s squad, his Manchester City teammate Foden has been in the thick of his country’s action.
Despite the £225,000-a-week man’s struggles during the Three Lions’ 1-0 win against Serbia, Gareth Southgate chose to keep him on the pitch for the full game.
After the contest, Cesc Fabregas stated that the 24-year-old must demand the ball in games where he feels isolated.
Rio Ferdinand agreed with the World Cup winner’s assessment about Foden.
On FIVE’s official channel, he said: “If we’re going to see the best out of Phil Foden, I agree with Cesc [Fabregas], he’s got to really go out there and dominate the pitch and dominate some of his teammates to give him the ball and the first one to shout.”
Rio Ferdinand went on to claim that like Foden against Serbia, Juan Sebastian Veron tended not to ask for the ball — which he felt led to his underwhelming spell in a Manchester United shirt.
“I’ve seen this before. At Man United, we had Roy Keane, who demanded the ball in the middle of the pitch and in the middle of the area. We signed a superstar in [Juan] Sebastian Veron. If you haven’t heard of him, go and Google this guy, ridiculous player, the streets will never forget this guy, that bandage under the knee.”
Ferdinand continued: “He came and he was a playmaker and he wanted to get the ball of all the players and that’s how he got his rhythm and played. But Roy Keane dominated because he was more animated, the characteristics he had came out and he was much more dominant, was there before and dominated that area.”
“And Sebastian Veron folded really and he had to be sold and he didn’t really become a success at Man United. But he was a fantastically talented player and I hope Phil doesn’t fall like that.”
Strange comparison involving Phil Foden
While Rio Ferdinand knows best about why Juan Sebastian Veron failed to live up to the billing at Manchester United, to suggest Foden did not demand the ball at all against Serbia is bizarre.
The Englishman visibly gestured towards his teammates to pass him the ball on plenty of occasions.
Perhaps the six-time Premier League winner could have made more of an effort to pick up the ball and impose himself on the game instead of waiting to do so at times.
But as Rio Ferdinand stated, Juan Sebastian Veron would often not do so — unlike Foden, who is seen asking for the ball for both club and country.
The pundit has made quite a strange comparison, solely based on one game of football.