Match Preview: A tribute to Rio Ferdinand's 10 years at Old Trafford
For more than a decade Rio Ferdinand has been one of the most faithful servants for Manchester United and after helping the club to six league titles, one Champions League triumph and one FIFA club World Cup winners medal. Ferdinand, who recently signed a one-year contract extension, says that he might be overwhelmed by emotion during the game.
"This is going to be a big night for me as well as an emotional one," he said. "I cannot believe where those ten years have gone and I am lucky to have spent them here at Manchester United.
"This club is unique in every way, the history and drive of the place is unbelievable, it spurs everyone to succeed. The fans are the best in the world, their commitment is amazing and I have appreciated their support throughout my career. I hope they enjoy the night as much as I intend to."
Ferdinand was signed for a massive £30 million in 2002 and with a decade having passed by the former Leeds man still remains the most expensive defender ever. Ferguson who signed the Englishman during his reign at Manchester United however believes that Rio was worth the momentous sum which was paid for him.
"He is one of the best central defenders this club has seen," said Ferguson. "Rio has a natural ability to read the game and I said last month that I believed this season has been the best of his Manchester United career,” said the former Man United head coach
"It will be a fantastic night for him and the fans, but it also gets next season's campaign off to a great start."
The club that is going to take part in this testimonial game is none other than Sevilla, a side that despite working on a shoestring budget in recent times, has always rose to the occasion and proudly be a representative of the Andalusia region.
Rio Ferdinand would be the main attraction in the game. However, the Englishman will not be the only star player garnering attention from the supporters. World’s fastest man, Usain Bolt will play for the Red Devils in the testimonial game. Bolt, who has quite a lot of gold medals in his cabinet, is a huge fan of the Manchester giants and it has been said that Ferdinand, who is friends with the Jamaican, convinced David Moyes to let Bolt participate in the game.
Where to watch the match – live stream, start time, TV channels
The testimonial has acquired quite a lot of interest in Manchester and the global Manchester United community. Ferdinand’s fans would be itching to know where to watch the game live.
Watch the match live:
In UK at 19:30 on BT Sport 2
The match can be viewed internationally on MUTV and Riotestimonial.com
