Football Update: Ferdinand wishes to end his career at Manchester United
Rio Ferdinand is looking for a new contract with Manchester united so that he can finish his career at the club he joined in 2002 from rivals Leeds United.
The 30 million pound defender has been struggling with injuries over the last few years and was also unable to lead his country in the World Cup this summer. There are still two more years before his contract expires but the 32 year old is hopeful that he
can persuade his manager to extend his stay at the club - The man who led Manchester United in their memorable triumph over Chelsea in Moscow is determined to achieve more success with the club
The United number-5 said: "I want to finish my career at United, I have two years on my contract, and if the manager sees that I am fit enough, a four-year deal at that age would be great."
Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville are still playing for United despite being well in their 30s, so age doesn’t matter as long as you are able to perform and survive at the top level. However, the arrival of Chris Smalling this season might be a signal
that Sir Alex is looking to change his back four for the coming years. The Scot might be looking for younger players who could cope with the pace of the Premier League and in that scenario, Ferdinand will have to work hard and fight for his place.
Sir Alex must still regret his decision to offload Jaap Stam and replace him by the aged Laurent Blanc. The captain of France’s World Cup winning team in 1998 had a troublesome spell at Old Trafford and many blamed United’s poor defending for losing the
league title after three years. Back then, Ferguson realized how important it was to have an in-shape back four and that is why he splashed out the transfer record to sign Rio Ferdinand.
Ferdinand has not only been solid as a wall at the back but has also been a great ambassador of the club. The idealist here might want to see the England international stay at Old Trafford till his last day of competitive football.
Realistically however, it is up to the manager to make a decision but right now, it is unclear where his future lies. There is also no guarantee about his inclusion in the starting XI against Arsenal on Monday because of the hamstring injury that he suffered
against Valencia in mid week.
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