Nemanja Vidic has now explained why he was able to click with Rio Ferdinand, despite being very “different” to his fellow Manchester United legend.
Rio Ferdinand had already established himself as a key defensive Manchester United figure at Old Trafford long before former defender Nemanja Vidic arrived in England.
The 47-year-old United legend broke the British record transfer fee for the second time in his career after Sir Alex Ferguson landed Ferdinand from Leeds United.
The Red Devils paid Leeds United a £30m transfer fee in 2002 to secure Ferdinand, who is widely considered one of the best Premier League defenders of all time.
Settling the debate over Nemanja Vidic and Virgil van Dijk
Is Nemanja Vidic the best defender in Premier League history?
The fundamental bedrock that underpinned the Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic dynamic at Man Utd
Fast-forward from Rio Ferdinand’s exit from Elland Road and the former Manchester United defender saw another defining moment in his Red Devils spell in 2006.
Iconic former United manager Sir Alex Ferguson brought Nemanja Vidic to Old Trafford from Russian side Spartak Moscow for a reported £7m transfer fee.
Vidic and Ferdinand shared a remarkable partnership at Man Utd and the two Red Devils legends were at the heart of the Red Devils’ defence under Ferguson.
Vidic admitted that his dynamic with former TNT Sports pundit Ferdinand worked so well because their relationship on the pitch was the same as it was off it as well.
“I think it’s very important to have a good spirit in the team in general, but especially if you play at the back,” he told FourFourTwo magazine.
“You want to trust your partner, you know? I obviously played with him for nine years and we worked on our relationship on the pitch and off the pitch to understand each other.
“I think I’ve talked about that many times, but definitely, I believe that it is very important.”
Is Rio Ferdinand Man Utd’s best defender of all time? 🐐🤔
Nemanja Vidic on the Man Utd partnership that he formed with former England defender Rio Ferdinand
Vidic was the more no-nonsense defender out of the two, while Ferdinand was a complete Rolls-Royce defender with his precision tackles and timely interceptions.
The 44-year-old ex-Man Utd star admitted that he was very different to Ferdinand’s playing style, but the pair were on the same wavelength in their dynamic.
“The way that Rio plays and the way I play complement each other,” Vidic continued.
“We are kind of different, but we understand each other – what I will do in certain situations, what he will do, and that’s it. To understand your friend, that’s friendship.”
Vidic left Old Trafford in 2014 and signed for Inter Milan, while Ferdinand made his exit from Man Utd in the same window and signed for Queens Park Rangers.
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
