“Never should’ve left…” – Rio Ferdinand slams Man United for selling two players

Rio Ferdinand has criticised his former club Manchester United for selling two of his ex-teammates after he left the club.

Ferdinand, 45, departed from United in the summer of 2014, one year after Sir Alex Ferguson retired from the game.

The veteran defender moved on to play for QPR for one season before he hung up his boots. United had since failed to get anywhere close to the levels of the successful teams that Ferdinand was part of at Old Trafford.

Struggles have occurred both defensively and offensively, but Ferdinand has argued that certain player sales were “a travesty” for the club.

He believes that Jonny Evans – who has since returned to the club in the final years of his career – and Chris Smalling were both defenders who knew the “fabric” of the club and should not have been sold.

“I’ve said this many times, it was a travesty that they sold Jonny Evans,” Ferdinand told Vibe With Five. “He should never have been allowed to leave. 

“He was the best defender, the best centre-back when I left. When me and [Nemanja] Vidic walked out of the door, the experience, the old timers, we were gone. He was the best defender that you’ve got. I just couldn’t believe that he was allowed to leave.

‘Him and Chris Smalling, to be fair. I don’t believe they should have been allowed to leave. I thought they knew the fabric of the club. You need those types.”

Evans, now 36, has played regularly for United this term after signing a one-year deal in the summer.

Ferdinand does, however, believe it was the wrong move to bring the defender back at the tail-end of his career, especially due to how much he’s needed to be relied on already.