Rio Ferdinand has revealed that he never wanted to leave West Ham United ahead of his world record transfer to Leeds United in 2000.
The Irons academy product had become a regular starter in Harry Redknapp’s squad not long after he made his Premier League debut on the final day of the 1995/96 season.
Ferdinand would go on to rack up 145 appearances for the club before he became the world’s most expensive defender at the time in November 2000. Leeds United paid £18million to sign him and he would spend almost two years at Elland Road before making a controversial £30million switch to arch-rivals Manchester United.