Rio Ferdinand has revealed Manchester United's players considered Ed Woodward a disgrace for the handling of his exit from the club.
Woodward left his position as United's executive vice-chairman in April. The Bristol University graduate spent a total of 16 years at Old Trafford and was a hugely unpopular figure during that period.
Richard Arnold succeeded Woodward and he was appointed United's chief executive after spending nine years as group managing director. Arnold is friends with Woodward and he also graduated from Bristol University, but he'll be hoping his reign is more successful than his predecessor's. United fans have no fond memories of Woodward's time at the club.
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Ferdinand has now revealed United's players also considered Woodward 'a disgrace' for the way the former executive handled his exit from the club in 2014. Ferdinand wasn't offered a contract extension and Woodward bluntly delivered that news in the dressing room after a draw away to Southampton on the final day of the season.
"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," Ferdinand told FIVE's YouTube channel when discussing loyalty in football.
"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. 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.
"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.
"He 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."
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