Ferdinand explains who was the only person allowed to mock Ferguson at Man Utd

19 November 2023 , 17:56

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Ferdinand explains who was the only person allowed to mock Ferguson at Man Utd

Rio Ferdinand once revealed that Sir Alex Ferguson only allowed one person to mock him - his favourite dinner lady Carol.

The Scot led Manchester United for over 25 years in a trophy-laden era. But he was known for his ruthless managerial style which led to the exit of any player who clashed with him.

The likes of Roy Keane, Jaap Stam and Ruud van Nistelrooy all left United during his tenure after falling foul of the 81-year-old. Ferguson though didn't mind Carol having a laugh at his expense, with Ferdinand detailing a story when she mocked his choice of trousers.

He told The Sun: "Carol was a very funny lady. I loved speaking to her and having a laugh over a cup of tea at the training ground. She would treat everybody the same, academy players, Premier League champions or Sir Alex Ferguson, one of the biggest names in the history of football.

"I remember once he walked in wearing a smart pair of cream chinos as I was talking to Carol. She stopped our conversation and just said to him 'what are you wearing?!' which made us all laugh."

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Carol is a long-serving dinner lady at United's Carrington training base. Ferdinand, who spent a decade at Old Trafford, reconnected with Carol in 2020 as part of a BT +1 initiative that aimed to tackle loneliness during the Christmas period.

Rio Ferdinand spoke glowingly about Carol (right) (BT+1/Twitter)

He said at the time: "During the 12 years I spent at Manchester United I saw Carol almost every day at the training ground. She was part of the fabric of the club and always there through the good and bad times.

"I saw her more than I would see some members of my family. But then after I retired, I didn’t see her for a couple of years... so the chance to reconnect with her was amazing. We've built a genuine friendship over the years. When you meet a person like Carol, you don't forget them."

Ferdinand spent 12 years at Old Trafford after joining the club from rivals Leeds United in 2002 for a then British record transfer fee of around £30million, helping them win six Premier League titles, the Champions League and two League Cups.

Sam Meade