"Ditched your mate", "Nobody beats Alexander-Arnold" - Rio Ferdinand causes a stir on social media after making bold claim about Manchester City star

Rio Ferdinand has incurred the wrath of fans after naming Manchester City's Kyle Walker ahead of Trent Alexander-Arnold as the best right-back in Premier League history.

The Manchester United legend sat down for an interview with Walker on his VIBE with FIVE podcast. The pair delved into City's top-of-the-table clash with Liverpool on Sunday (March 10) and the fact the England international has never won at Anfield.

However, the most intriguing part of the interview was Ferdinand introducing Walker, 33, as the best right-back in Premier League history. He said:

"None other than the best right back in Premier League history."

This has been met with backlash, especially from United fans who pointed out that Ferdinand snubbed his former teammate Gary Neville. The Red Devils icon is viewed as one of the all-time greats, winning 12 titles during his illustrious career.

However, Ferdinand does have a case to make regarding Walker as he's been excelling for Manchester City for several years. The pacey full-back arrived from Tottenham Hotspur in July 2017 in a £50 million deal.

Walker has made 290 appearances across competitions since then, bagging six goals and 21 assists. He's won 16 major trophies with the Cityzens, including the continental treble last season.

Some fans responded to Ferdinand by offering Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold as a candidate for the best right-back in Premier League history. He holds the record as the defender with the most assists in English top-flight history (58 in 219 games).

One fan was bemused by Ferdinand's claim and put Alexander-Arnold's name forward:

"Alexander-Arnold is a joke to u? Nobody beats Alexander-Arnold at the moment as the best right back in the world self."

Another fan alluded to the former United defender's snub of his friend Neville:

"Ditched your mate, Gary? Kyle ain’t the best. Gary is!"

Here's how fans on X (formerly Twitter) reacted to the Red Devils icon's claim about Manchester City's skipper:

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Manchester City's Kyle Walker thinks Alexander-Arnold will continue to receive criticism over his defending

Kyle Walker has been a defensive stalwart for Manchester City.

Alexander-Arnold is viewed as one of the Premier League's most creative players. He's been in fine form this season, posting two goals and 10 assists in 29 games across competitions.

However, the 25-year-old hasn't been without his critics and spent much of last season in the firing line. Several pundits including former United midfielder John Giles argue that he's not a good defender.

Walker was asked about the criticism his England teammate was receiving during last season. The Manchester City captain said it will likely continue (via TEAMTalk):

"My personal point of view is, it’s going to happen again. People are going to have doubts again. It’s football, it’s about opinions. Some opinions are definitely not right and some are right."

Walker highlighted how he'd previously had doubters question his defending ability:

"I remember me being at Tottenham and people were saying I couldn’t defend... Now it’s vice versa, people say ‘he’s not good going forward but he is a great defender’."

Walker has displayed his versatility in recent years, playing as a makeshift center-back. He was used in the role on 14 occasions by Guardiola last season, helping his side keep six clean sheets.