Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has recounted how he was forced by the police to close down a bar that he had opened up in Leeds following his controversial move between the two clubs.
The ex-England centre-back triggered fury at Elland Road back in 2002 when he quit the Yorkshire side to join the Red Devils. He became the most expensive defender in world football for the second time by doing so.
Ferdinand’s decision to move certainly appeared to be the best one for him personally as he lifted six Premier League titles, the Champions League and a whole host of other trophies at Old Trafford. That was no consolation to Leeds fans, however, with Ferdinand receiving threats that his recently-opened Sutra bar was due to be destroyed.
Speaking to William Hill, the Man Utd icon recalled: “I had a bar that was only just opened in Leeds and when I signed for Man United, the head of the police rang me. I don’t know how he got my number, but he rang me and said ‘just to let you know, I’d advise you don’t open your bar.
“If you open your bar there will be people coming down to mash it up, we’ve got intel that they’re looking to destroy your place.’ So that place got put to sleep straight away, never opened again, dormant, gone.
“And then I started understanding the rivalry. When we went back to Leeds with Man United for the first time, we actually got beat 1-0, I think. I had to have a police escort to get into the ground because where the bus used to park to get into the ground you have to walk a little bit and, yeah it was madness, crazy.”
Is Rio Ferdinand's transfer to Man Utd the most controversial Premier League move? Share your thoughts in the comments below
Despite having enjoyed successful stints with both the Red Devils and Leeds, Ferdinand has claimed that he did not fully understand the magnitude of the rivalry between the two sides until he was fully immersed in it.
“It’s mad, when you’re from London you don’t really understand all the rivalries,” the now 44-year-old added. “You know there’s a rivalry there, but you don’t know the levels.
“Leeds and Manchester United is a mad rivalry; when I got there, I was told: ‘Rio you’re making a big decision to go to Man United from Leeds, because their fans will hate you!’
“I didn’t even think about that, because I didn’t know it was that bad. I knew they didn’t like them, but I didn’t know it was to the core.”
Whilst Ferdinand was met with disdain after making the move between Leeds and Man Utd, the same cannot quite be said of a more recent example. Welsh winger Dan James spent two seasons with the Red Devils before being allowed to make the move to Elland Road. He was with Leeds for just a solitary season ahead of a loan switch to Fulham this season.
