Rio Ferdinand demands Manchester United fans change opinion and “give credit” to star

Rio Ferdinand has demanded that Manchester United fans change their opinions on a star player, Jadon Sancho, ahead of the Champions League final.

Jadon Sancho is set to start for Borussia Dortmund as they go head-to-head with Real Madrid in the 2024 Champions League final at Wembley Stadium.

Sancho was banned from Erik ten Hag‘s first-team squad following a fallout between him and the manager over what the winger perceived to be unfair treatment when it came to squad selection. He was then sent on loan to Dortmund in January 2024 and has since started returning to his brilliant best, helping guide them to the European final on Saturday evening.

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During the first half of this season, Sancho was widely criticised for his outburst, with many fans claiming he did not have the mentality to succeed at United.

However, Rio Ferdinand, former United player and club captain, has now called for United fans to change their tune with Sancho and give him the credit he deserves for rebuilding his career at Dortmund ahead of the final.

“A lot has been said about him, a lot of it negative, and I think it’s about time people really give him a little bit of credit,” Ferdinand told talkSPORT.

“Because I think it’s been a really difficult period for him. He’s been criticised, rightly or wrongly. The situation that happened between him and the manager, we can debate who was right and who was wrong.

“But he has been criticised heavily, confidence has been very low, he went into a period of isolation in terms of training away from the squad. Now he’s gone away to Dortmund to rebuild himself, as a footballer, as a human being, and he has come out the other side.

“Whether he wins the Champions League or not, what he’s achieved in this short little period of time has to be looked at and you go, ‘You know what? This kid’s got character’.

“He’s got personality, he’s built of the right stuff, and I think that’s where he needs credit.”