Rio Ferdinand has claimed he played some of his "best football" during his spell at Leeds United. The former defender only spent two seasons at Elland Road after completing his switch from West Ham in 2000, but was named club captain in his second campaign, and racked up 73 appearances in all competitions.
Leeds reached the Champions League semi-finals in his debut season, but Ferdinand's reputation with the Leeds fanbase was tainted following his controversial transfer to bitter rivals Manchester United in 2002.
Ferdinand played 455 times for the Red Devils in total and lifted 14 trophies, including six Premier League titles and the Champions League in 2008. The 44-year-old was inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame this week and described his time at Leeds as a "wonderful experience".
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"Leeds is a massive club with a massive fan base and Elland Road is a great place to play, too," Ferdinand told BBC Sport.
“I became captain, which was huge, because I was so young and we were playing Champions League football so it was a wonderful experience. I played some of my best football there and to this day some coaches think I was at my best at Leeds. I’ve maintained contact with a lot of them and there is still a WhatsApp group with the likes of Mark Viduka and Lee Bowyer."
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