Manchester United star is proving Rio Ferdinand wrong after “not going well” claim

One Manchester United star is well on his way to proving Rio Ferdinand wrong following the Old Trafford legend’s claims earlier this season.

Manchester United’s 2024/25 campaign has taken a turn that many did not expect when Erik ten Hag and his squad embarked on their 2024 pre-season tour.

The summer saw the club sign Joshua Zirkzee, Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui, and Manuel Ugarte, and many hoped that the side would be able to forget the horrors of 2023/24.

However, come the end of October, the Dutchman had been sacked, with Rúben Amorim taking charge as the side’s new head coach, and a turbulent first two months has left the club 14th in the Premier League table.

But, since the turn of the year, a draw against Liverpool and FA Cup penalty shootout win over Arsenal has handed much-needed hope to Old Trafford, with many players having improved in their performances.

De Ligt is proving Ferdinand wrong

When United signed De Ligt from Bayern Munich for around £38 million, many pondered as to why, with the player failing to impress at Juventus and in Germany since his breakout campaign at Ajax.

Former United centre-back Rio Ferdinand, who is widely regarded as a legend following his 14 trophies under Sir Alex Ferguson, questioned the signing last year.

“He’s had a lot of injuries, hasn’t started many games over the last two or three years and Man United are spending £45-50million on him,” Ferdinand said when de Ligt first signed.

“Is he going to come into Man United and make a difference? I think it’s a big ask for him and all eyes are going to be on him.

“Big pressure, big opportunity for him, but there’s a lot of uncertainty, I think, with this signing because of his previous seasons with two big clubs not going as well as we’d have anticipated.”

The 25-year-old has since proven Ferdinand wrong. Firstly, he has been available for almost every fixture since he signed, missing only a few through illness, and he has proven himself to be a reliable player.

Under Ten Hag, he started life slow but gained good momentum before his sacking, and under Amorim, he has solidified himself as part of the 39-eyar-old’s best defensive line.

Aside from a few wobbles against Liverpool, the Netherlands international has been fantastic for United, and is well on his way to proving Ferdinand wrong.

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