WE BELIEVE YOU RIO

Last updated : 11 August 2005 By editor

Rio Ferdinand on his delay to sign a new contract, "It was a saga," Ferdinand told MUTV. "The longer it went on, the more detrimental it was to the squad. Hopefully, now I have put pen to paper we can concentrate on the team. That is the most important thing.

"No individual is bigger than the team or the club and it should stay that way for as long as possible." (as long as possible? Forever surely. – ed)

"There were a lot of people saying I had turned down £100,000 a week and was waiting for £120,000 a week," added Ferdinand. "Nothing could be further from the truth. If I was a fan, hearing everything that had been said and written, I would have reacted in exactly the same way.

"I do not blame them for that. I just believe they were misinformed on a lot of issues. I was not offered £100,000 a week for a start. I am a lad who grew up with nothing and these figures are just crazy."