- Rio Ferdinand reflected on his controversial departure from Elland Road in 2003
- The 45-year-old has remained an unpopular figure among Leeds fans to this day
- On a packed train, how DO you ask a celebrity to move from a seat you have reserved? It’s All Kicking Off
Rio Ferdinand has expressed his surprise at the resentment he receives from Leeds fans more than two decades after his departure from Elland Road.
Ferdinand joined Leeds from West Ham in November 2000 in an £18m deal that broke the British transfer record and made him the world’s most expensive defender.
Despite being named captain and serving as an integral component of David O’Leary’s side that reached the semi-finals of the Champions League, Ferdinand’s spell in Yorkshire would ultimately prove to be brief.
Less than two years after arriving at the club, Ferdinand would join Leeds’ bitter rivals Manchester United, with the £30m fee paid for the England international again breaking the British transfer record.
Speaking on the BBC’s The Total Sport Podcast, Ferdinand told former rugby league star Rob Burrow that he was surprised by the level of vitriol aimed at him by the Leeds faithful.
Rio Ferdinand detailed his surprise at still facing vitriol from Leeds fans more than 20 years after leaving the club
Ferdinand spent two years at Elland Road and was part of the Leeds side that reached the semi-finals of the Champions League
But the England international failed to endear himself to the clubs faithful when he joined fierce rivals Manchester United in a British-record deal
‘About six months to a year ago I played a game and the Leeds away fans were just in front of me. I swear to you I was taken aback by how upset and angry they still are with me. This transfer was over 20 years ago and I’m thinking “are you still upset about this?”
‘Unfortunately the club was run a particular way that they had to sell all of the assets. They had to sell me. I had to go. So it didn’t matter where I was going.
‘I wasn’t a local Leeds lad so I didn’t really understand the rivalry. I chose to go to the best club which had the best opportunity for me to win and that was Manchester United, and that decision proved to be right because I was very successful there and won so many things.
‘I understand the rivalry, but sometimes you’ve got to understand the situation and the context.’
Despite the controversy surrounding his arrival, Ferdinand’s move to Manchester would prove enormously successful.
In twelve years at Old Trafford Ferdinand would win a host of accolades, including six Premier League titles, two league cups and the Champions League.
