TNT Sports pundit Rio Ferdinand has singled out the big success that one former Manchester United player has been able to find away from Old Trafford.
Manchester United will return to action on Wednesday for the start of their post-season tour, with the Red Devils facing ASEAN All-Stars in a friendly match.
Ruben Amorim’s men signed off their lacklustre 2024-25 campaign on the weekend after United defeated 10-man Aston Villa 2-0 at Old Trafford in the Premier League.
Despite United’s result over Aston Villa on the final day of the Premier League season, the Red Devils have had a woeful run of form in the domestic campaign.
United climbed to 15th place in the table after Sunday’s 2-0 result and the Red Devils ended the season with their worst finish in the Premier League era.
Ruben Amorim’s side also fell short of major silverware last Wednesday after United’s Europa League final defeat to Tottenham at the San Mames Stadium.
United suffered a 1-0 loss to Tottenham in Bilbao and the Red Devils failed to secure their route back to the Champions League for the 2025-26 season at Old Trafford.
Man Utd legend Rio Ferdinand speaks out on Napoli striker Romelu Lukaku and the ‘problem’ that he spotted
Romelu Lukaku was reunited with ex-Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho at Old Trafford after Manchester United agreed to sign him for an initial fee of £75m in 2017.
The 32-year-old Belgium international netted 42 times in 96 appearances for the United before he left the club and signed for Inter Milan in 2019 for a £74m fee.
Romelu Lukaku found success with Inter Milan in his first spell and lifted a Serie A title before he returned to England with former side Chelsea in 2021.
However, the ex-United striker had an ill-fated second run at Chelsea and Lukaku was loaned out to Inter and then Roma before he was sold to Napoli in 2024.
Lukaku has been able to pick his career back up in Italy and Rio Ferdinand praised the former Chelsea and Inter player for his impact at Napoli this season.
Speaking on Rio Ferdinand Presents, the United legend said: “I need to give a shoutout to a man called Romelu Lukaku.
“He’s another player who’s left Manchester United [and thrived]. He’s won Serie A again and scored on the night they won it.
“I look at Lukaku and the problem, especially in England, has been [that] everyone looks at what he can’t do or what he’s not so good at.
“Just because he’s big and quick, people expect him to play in a certain way. His game is about running onto things and running at people.”
Rio Ferdinand finds a second ‘mistake’ that Man Utd made with Romelu Lukaku after Napoli’s Serie A title win
Romelu Lukaku netted 14 times and registered 11 assists in 38 matches across all competitions for Serie A champions Napoli in the 2024-25 campaign.
Napoli edged out Inter Milan to the Serie A title by a single point in the season and the club sealed the Scudetto under Antonio Conte on the final day of the campaign.
Ferdinand added that he believes that United failed to play in a way that suited Lukaku’s strengths and feels that the Red Devils were too quick to offload him.
“Another mistake I think Man United made was we didn’t play to his strengths and we got rid of him too [quickly], probably,” he continued.
“When you don’t play to his strengths, he’s not going to be able to produce his best work.
“But he’s shown what quality he has; his goal record over the years really stacks up.”
United are back in action on Wednesday afternoon and will face ASEAN All-Stars at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium, with kick-off scheduled for 1:45pm UK time.
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