Rio Ferdinand has claimed that Manchester United 's dressing room thought Ed Woodward was a “disgrace” for how his exit from the club was handled.
The former Red Devils executive vice-chairman has exited the club after nine years in the role and a total of 16 years at Old Trafford. Woodward was an unpopular figure among the majority of the club’s fans due to the sharp downturn in results during his tenure, while Ferdinand has explained he did not find much support in the dressing room either.
Ferdinand was told in the immediate aftermath of the final match of the 2013-14 campaign that his contract would not be renewed at Old Trafford, bringing an end to his 12-year stay at the club.
The former central defender has now explained how United had not given him any update or indication that season that his deal would not be renewed, while the news that he would be leaving came at a point which he found difficult to digest.
Discussing the topic of loyalty in football, Ferdinand told his Vibe with FIVE YouTube channel : "We was playing Southampton away and I’d asked a few times before the last game of the season, a couple of times, 'am I getting a new deal or what?' I wasn’t told.
"Played the game against Southampton, the manager’s not worked out what he’s doing yet, delay, delay. Get to the Southampton game, play Southampton, Vida (Nemanja Vidic) knew because he didn’t renew so he got to have a send-off at the end which was great, we were all clapping.
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"I wasn’t even thinking about myself, it’s weird, I thought in a couple of weeks I’d go and speak to him (Woodward), I’m not sure."
The former central defender continued: "I felt, my genuine feeling, was that the club had told Vida he wasn’t staying, Patrice Evra wasn’t staying, Ryan Giggs wasn’t staying... There’s three or four big characters leaving at that point, leaders, captains going in a squad that needs captains, leaders and the culture continuing.
"I thought if they’re going, there’s a chance I may stay because there’s no chance they’ll let all of us go, mind-boggling if they let us all go, couldn’t see it then we all went. It was crazy to me but I was told, the chief executive Ed Woodward came in the changing room, they say ‘well played, unlucky, great game, good win’ or whatever, all the directors would do that, he was one of them."
Ferdinand then recalled: "He (Woodward) just said, 'by the way we’re not going to renew your contract at the moment', 10 minutes after that game. I was just numb, a few players after the game were like ‘what has happened?’ They had seen me talking to them and they had seen my reaction and I’m not really good at hiding my emotions so I was sat there and I was gobsmacked.
"Physically, I was shot, I knew that but I felt there was more to offer if these said players were leaving the club, there’s more to offer and to give the changing room. Some of the players were going ‘wow, that’s a disgrace, I can’t believe that’. No ones got a God-given right to have a send-off I understand that."
The 2013-14 campaign was one of the most difficult in recent memory for United, who relinquished their grip on the Premier League title and finished in seventh position under David Moyes – who was dismissed with several matches of the campaign remaining. Ferdinand was one of a glut of experienced players to leave the club at the end of the season.
