I snubbed Real Madrid and Barcelona to stay at Manchester United: Rio Ferdinand

Rio Ferdinand won six Premier League titles with Manchester United.

Former England international and Manchester United great Rio Ferdinand, today, revealed that he had rejected offers from a number of clubs including Real Madrid and Barcelona during his time at Old Trafford.

Ferdinand signed on a free for newly promoted Queens Park Ranger earlier this summer after his contract with Manchester United ran out last year. The ex-West Ham youth prodigy enjoyed a stellar career at the “Theatre of Dreams”. In his 12 seasons at the club, the 35-year old lifted the Premier League trophy on six ocassions.

However, according to Ferdinand the temptation to join European rivals to further his riches were always there, whilst he was still at his peak.

“I spoke to Roma and also there was interest from Real Madrid and Barcelona at one time,” he said in an interview.

“But when I was at Manchester United and there was interest from other clubs I was winning things at Manchester United. So my head was never turned to go anywhere else.

“You tell someone from Manchester United or a team that's winning things that they could go abroad and you would be hard pressed to get them to go.

“If Gareth Bale had been at Manchester United and winning trophies he wouldn't have gone to Real Madrid. I was just turned on by winning. I wasn't interested in going anywhere else.”

Ferdinand enjoyed success on the European stage as well, lifting the Champions League in 2008. He was named in the PFA Team of the year on six different occasions, five of them coming whilst in the red of United.