Rio Ferdinand made his position perfectly clear on a former Manchester United target who could have replaced Erik ten Hag ahead of Ruben Amorim’s arrival.
Ruben Amorim marked his first anniversary as Manchester United manager on Saturday amid the Red Devils’ Premier League clash with Nottingham Forest.
Erik ten Hag was sacked as United manager in October 2024 and Rio Ferdinand’s former Red Devils teammate Ruud van Nistelrooy became interim head coach.
Ruud van Nistelrooy, who was United assistant manager under Ten Hag, served four matches in the Old Trafford hot seat before Amorim’s appointment last November.
Amorim had made a name for himself in his native homeland with Sporting CP and the 40-year-old United manager was backed as Ten Hag’s long-term replacement.
The Portuguese coach has been supported by the Ineos regime at Old Trafford with a slew of new summer signings and co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s public backing.
Rio Ferdinand asked about Roberto De Zerbi being linked with Man Utd before Erik ten Hag was sacked
The writing was already on the wall for Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United reign at the end of the 2023-24 campaign after a disappointing Premier League season.
Ineos had launched an end-of-season review and had explored the appointment of a new United manager, with England boss Thomas Tuchel heavily linked at the time.
However, Ten Hag had been able to end the 2023-24 season on a high note after United’s stunning 2-1 win over Manchester City in the FA Cup final at Wembley.
Ineos and Sir Jim Ratcliffe were unable to land a suitable replacement ahead of the 2024-25 campaign and Ten Hag was handed a contract extension with United.
United were believed to be linked with several managers during Ten Hag’s reign, including the likes of Roberto De Zerbi, Mauricio Pochettino and Thomas Frank.
The Athletic’s Andy Mitten recently reported on why Roberto De Zerbi never arrived at Old Trafford to replace Ten Hag and Rio Ferdinand’s reaction was powerful.
Speaking on Rio Ferdinand Presents, the former United and England defender said: “Who cares?
“We’re in the moment where Amorim is starting to find a bit of positivity and then we’re writing about someone who could have or should have taken the job over a year ago.
“It’s just nonsense, really. I just think it’s the… I knew that ages ago, but there’s no… What’s the point?”
Why Roberto De Zerbi never became Man Utd manager and Rio Ferdinand’s feelings on the Marseille head coach
According to Andy Mitten, Roberto De Zerbi had emerged as the ‘frontrunner’ for United after Thomas Tuchel did not ascend to the Old Trafford hot seat in 2024.
However, a deal with former Brighton and Shakhtar Donetsk head coach failed to materialise due to the ‘financial terms’ that United had tabled in their approach.
United legend Ferdinand admitted that he would have taken De Zerbi at Old Trafford, but he now feels that the Red Devils must move forward from the past.
“Listen, De Zerbi was one of my first choices,” he continued.
“If I would have been looking to recruit a manager back then, he would have been one of my first choices. So that’s history, that’s gone.”
De Zerbi was widely hailed for his work at Brighton before he left the Seagulls in 2024 and was subsequently appointed to his current role at Ligue 1 side Marseille.
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