GILL AND RIO

Last updated : 04 July 2005 By editor

Ferdinand's contract remains unsigned yet Gill believes Ferdinand is within his rights to wait.

'There is no stumbling block,' Gill told BBC Radio Five Live.

'We want him to stay, he wants to stay and in my experience, when that situation prevails, invariably the player stays.'

'We did support him through his suspension, as we would any player in that situation,' Gill added. 'But I don't think just because we were loyal to him it means he should definitely sign the contract. It is his career and he has to make sure the financial terms are right. We don't equate that with disloyalty, we equate that to taking the right advice, being professional and moving forward. It is too easy [to say] if you don't sign you are disloyal. We don't see it like that, the manager doesn't and I am sure most people in the club don't either. I know Rio relatively well and think he has been very loyal to this club.'