25 October 2023 , 07:35
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Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has revealed former boss Sir Alex Ferguson rejected his plea to sign ex- England teammate Aaron Lennon
Ferdinand would have had the chance to see Lennon in action before many others given the rapid winger was part of Leeds' academy set-up at a time when the central defender was strutting his stuff in the first team at Elland Road. The pair also spent plenty of time alongside each other within the England set-up, both making the 2006 and 2010 World Cup squads, though Ferdinand missed the latter through injury.
Lennon eventually left Leeds in 2005 and joined Tottenham for a fee of £1million. However, it wasn't for the want of Ferdinand trying to convince Ferguson the wide-man could have been very useful at Old Trafford.
Reflecting on how impressed he was with Lennon during England training sessions, Ferdinand told Vibe With Five : "Aaron Lennon one time when he was young and got in the team, oh my god, he stopped and started a few people and went through the middle of the pitch and all of us were like [open mouthed].
"Like Fergie, I’ve gone, ‘from what I’ve seen in training, if he can replicate it in games, we need to get this guy'." Pressed for comment on what Ferguson thought of Ferdinand's glowing assessment of Lennon, the former defender added: "[He] Just never moved on it."
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Soon after, it was revealed that Lennon wasn't the only player that Ferdinand thought could do a job at United, with the ex-England ace also recommending a move for Jermain Defoe. "The one player I always used to say to him [Ferguson] if you want to buy someone from our England team… Defoe," the 44-year-old added.
"Because he wouldn’t have started for us [Manchester United] all the time, but it would’ve been another type of Chicharito [Javier Hernandez], that he comes on and all he cares about is scoring, and if we’re winning 5-0 he’ll want to make it 6-0.
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Rio Ferdinand tried to get Sir Alex Ferguson to sign Aaron Lennon for Man United"He’s got that inner, ‘I need goals, I live, smell and breathe goals’. We would’ve got him in so many positions to score it would’ve been a joke."
Alas, Ferguson never did follow Ferdinand's tip with either Lennon or Defoe. The legendary United manager knew his way around the transfer market and rarely got it wrong - it's not like the Red Devils struggled with the players he did sign.