• Premier League

Rio: United could regret Vidic exit

ESPN staff
May 9, 2014
Nemanja Vidic said goodbye to Old Trafford on Tuesday © Getty Images
Enlarge

Rio Ferdinand has warned Manchester United they may come to regret allowing Nemanja Vidic to leave Old Trafford.

Vidic will join Inter Milan in the summer with Ferdinand comparing his exit to that of former United defender Jaap Stam, who was sold in 2001.

Rio waiting on Van Gaal?

  • Rio Ferdinand has admitted he is waiting to see who is appointed as the club's new manager before making a definitive decision on his future.
  • "I am fit, I am healthy and I want to continue playing," said Ferdinand, who is out-of-contract at United this summer. "I have spoken to a lot of mates of mine in the game and they all say the same thing - keep playing for as long as you can.
  • "The club at the moment is in a position where they can't really make any decisions about anything.
  • "For me to be saying I want to do this or that is irrelevant, because we have got to see who becomes the new manager and boxes will be ticked from there.
  • "I just want the best solution for the club. Whatever it is, then I will respect it. After that I am open to offers, but I would rather wait and see what happens at United and then there will be a decision to be made."

Stam had angered Sir Alex Ferguson over claims he made in his autobiography, with the manager also believing the then-29-year-old's career was beginning to wind down and that the time was right to cash in.

However, the Dutch centre-back went on to feature at the highest level for six more years with spells at Milan and Ajax following his time at Lazio. Ferguson later admitted "in playing terms, it was a mistake" to sell Stam, who went for £16.5 million.

Vidic joins Inter as a free agent after signing a pre-contract and though he is three years older than Staam was when he departed Old Trafford, Ferdinand feels his long-time central defensive partner could still be an asset at United.

"Only time will tell if Man United regret allowing him to leave," Ferdinand said. "Obviously Jaap Stam played on for quite a few years at a good level after he left United and the same thing could happen with Nemanja. He's a great player and it's a shame he had to leave."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd
ESPN staff Close

ABOUT COOKIES

To help make this website better, to improve and personalize your experience and for advertising purposes, are you happy to accept cookies and other technologies.

More Info Here Cookie Choices