Rio: I don't want to go to Chelsea (Agencies) Updated: 2005-03-21 14:24
Rio Ferdinand has revealed he would snub any attempt by Chelsea to prise him
away from Manchester United.
Manchester United's Rio Ferdinand (L) celebrates with
Cristiano Ronaldo (R) during today's English Premiership football match
against Fulham at Old Trafford, Manchester.Rio has revealed he has no
attempts to join London elite Chelsea.
[AFP] | It has been suggested the England
defender would be one of Jose Mourinho's major summer transfer targets, with
Blues chief executive Peter Kenyon well-placed to negotiate a deal having signed
Ferdinand for United from Leeds three years ago.
Ferdinand's London background also appear to make a return to the capital an
enticing possibility.
But, in an interview with the influential Red Issue fanzine, the 26-year-old
centre-half insists he has no intention of moving to Stamford Bridge and added
that even a long-held desire to ply his trade abroad is some way off being
fulfilled.
"There has been talk in the media about Real Madrid and Chelsea but there
have been no offers for me while I have been at United and if there were I would
dismiss them straight away," he said.
"I can't see myself wanting to go anywhere while we are winning with United
and doing well."
"I am enjoying my football. I am enjoying my life where I am living. I don't
think I have ever woken up somewhere that is so comfortable since I left
London."
"As a kid, I always said I would like to go abroad, not just for the football
but for the lifestyle, to see what it is like."
"In the future you never know, your feelings could change, but I don't see
myself having a burning desire to go abroad just yet."
United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has already identified Ferdinand as the next
United skipper when Roy Keane eventually quits Old Trafford, although the
£29million signing insists he would happily remain in the background if it meant
the Red Devils' Irish inspiration continuing his playing career.
Of more far more importance to Ferdinand is being able to add to his medal
collection.
A Premiership winner in his first season with United, he recognises the
chance of adding another championship medal to his collection is likely to end
in failure this season, leaving him with just the FA Cup to play for.
"Winning the league was the highlight of my career so far," he said.
"As a kid, it is something you always dream about. It's just a great feeling
and you need more of it."
"It's sickening watching anyone else win anything. You can't watch the
television or read the papers for weeks when another team wins something."
Ferdinand would already have been the proud owner of an FA Cup winners' medal
if it had not been the eight-month ban imposed following his failure to take a
drugs test at United's Carrington training ground in September 2003.
For the first time, the player has admitted to his own failure in the affair,
apologising to the Red Devils' supporters, but hinting he had been victimised in
receiving such a massive punishment - one month more than Adrian Mutu's
suspension for actually failing a test.
"I apologise because obviously I wasn't responsible enough (on the day of the
test)," he said.
"If that meant missing eight months of football, then obviously I wasn't
responsible enough."
"I could go on for ages and ages, but there is stuff which happened before,
with other players, and the precedents that were set, and they went beyond them
in my case."
"I take it there is some deep lying thing underneath of what
happened."
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