Former Leeds United defender Rio Ferdinand has lifted the lid on his record breaking move to Elland Road. He was one of the hottest prospects in English football and has since enjoyed an illustrious career.
However, the former Whites defender claims he didn't want to leave the Hammers, but it be the best decision of his career. Ferdinand claims to have turned down a move to Chelsea, who were offering the match Leeds' offer, but a phonecall with David O'Leary saw him sign on the dotted line.
Speaking to the Joe Cole Cast, Ferdinand said: "Leeds were a team that were hoovering up all the best young players. They had a really exciting squad that were on the cusp of some success it seemed - who could challenge a Man United at the time, playing Champions League Football.
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"Do you know what, I didn't want to leave West Ham but for two summers I'd gone to Terry Brown who was the owner and said to him are we going to buy anyone? I knew what was under the bonnet, there was me, Frank [Lampard, you [Joe Cole], Carrick, Defoe, Anton [Ferdinand] all these players coming through, we had Di Canio, Sinclair at the club if you just buy a few - this is the conversation I had with him - if you buy a few then we'll do something.
"The FA Cup or something and I would have been happy with that at the time I swear. He said 'We can't go into the red.'
"You've got to respect that it's fine. That summer I was fine and then I did it again. Don't forget I went before transfer windows happened, I went in November.
"I went and played Leeds on a Wednesday night or something like that and we won, Kanoute scored. Leeds fans were singing my name in the game, it was weird, because there were rumours they were trying to buy me, they were singing my name, West Ham fans were singing my name. It was a surreal moment really.
"I was out shopping with my dad and the phone goes. It was the chief executive at West Ham 'We've accepted a bid of £18million from Leeds.' The moment he said that I was gone.
"Funnily enough, as I was getting to the meeting to go and meet Leeds, Chelsea rang. They said they would match whatever Leeds were offering and I said thank you but with all due respect I need to leave London. I was getting a lot of trouble off the pitch, my mates and that were going out all the time, anything that was going on I was there. I was like a social butterfly.
"The best thing for my career was getting away and not having them pull me into the nightclubs. I remember talking to Peter Ridsdale who was handling negotiations, I was thinking I don't even want to know what money. Money was going to come and it would have been something I would have never imagined in my life.
"I said can I speak to David O'Leary please and they said 'What do you want to speak with him for?' I got him on the phone and said 'Please Mr O'Leary promise me you're going to coach me' - he was a centre-back and had a long, illustrious career - 'Please pass that on to me.'
"He said 'Don't you worry, I'll coach you and I don't think you'll be here long.' When he said that I was like do you know what, I'm here. To his credit, him, Roy Aitken and Eddie Gray, they coached me and they were really good."
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