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Ferdinand taunts United title rivals

Rio Ferdiand has hailed the character of his Manchester United team-mates © Getty Images

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• Profile: Rio Ferdinand

Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has taken a swipe at the club's Premier League rivals after the Red Devils captured a comfortable 20th league title.

United claimed the title with four games to spare, a 3-0 home victory over Aston Villa giving the club an unassailable lead at the top of the table.

And Ferdinand believes the gap back to the chasing pack, led by the now de-throned Manchester City, indicates United's superiority over England's premier competition.

"It's always sweet when you win the title and it's nice to do it here, in the right way and in style, not on goal difference," Ferdinand said."We have won it outright and we won it comfortably.

"It shows the resilience and attitude the manager has instilled in us. A lot of teams would probably have fallen away.

"We played Liverpool a couple of seasons ago when they were fighting for the title, we beat them and got to the league before them and they've not been seen since.

"That shows the mentality and character that this club has."

Meanwhile, United chief executive David Gill is expecting cross-town rivals City to respond to the club's success with a renewed onslaught next season.

However, Gill, who will stand down from his position at the end of the season, is confident United manager Sir Alex Ferguson will not be resting on his laurels.

"I'm sure they will come back," Gill told The Telegraph. "They've got some ambitious plans on their investment and their academy. But that's what the excitement of the Premier League is.

"I'm sure all the clubs who missed out this season will be doing business in the summer - as we will be - with a view to come back all guns blazing next year."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.