Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand’s reaction to being left off Sir Alex Ferguson’s world-class players list went viral back in 2015, and he made it quite clear he was hurt by not being included. Indeed, Ferguson oversaw multiple star-studded lineups throughout his tenure as Red Devils’ boss.
Across a 26-year spell at Old Trafford, the Scot guided the club to an unprecedented level of success, including 13 Premier League titles, five FA Cups, and two Champions League triumphs from four final appearances. None of that glory could have been achieved without the superstar players he worked with, but such were his high standards that he only felt four were deserving of “world-class” status.
Despite being considered among the greatest defenders in Premier League history, Ferdinand was not included. While he downplayed the omission, his social media post suggested it hurt a little more than he was willing to admit.
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The Four Man Utd Players Fergie Considered ‘World Class’
Sir Alex Ferguson with Premier League trophy
Eric Cantona
Perhaps the only player who never found himself on the receiving end of Ferguson’s infamous hairdryer treatment – even after kung-fu kicking a Crystal Palace fan – Eric Cantona almost single-handedly transformed the club’s fortunes following his £1 million move from Leeds United in 1992. His switch changed the trajectory of the club for good, and is deserving of Fergie’s ‘world class’ claim.
Ryan Giggs
As United’s record appearance-maker, having played an incredible 963 times, as well as the most decorated British player ever as he was the only one to join Fergie in each of his 13 league title hoists, Ryan Giggs’ superhuman longevity is enough on its own to earn him special praise from his former boss.
Ryan Giggs and Sir Alex Ferguson
Cristiano Ronaldo
One of the greatest footballers of all time, Cristiano Ronaldo went from boy to man under Ferguson and the two still have an incredible father and son-esque relationship today. Before clicking on the article, it would have been an easy guess to assume the Scot would pick the winger as one of the very best, given the fact he ended up winning five Ballon d’Or mantles across stints with United and Real Madrid.
Paul Scholes
Among other notable absentees from Fergie’s list are David Beckham and legendary captain and football hardman Roy Keane. Instead, the only midfielder given the nod was Paul Scholes, who scored some incredible goals from outside the box during his time at Old Trafford. Likened more to the Spanish footballers of the period, Fergie coined the Ginger Prince as the ‘absolutely perfect player.’
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Ferdinand’s Viral Reaction to being Snubbed by Ferguson
Ferdinand attempted to spark a debate around what the phrase ‘world class’ actually meant in response to his snub, suggesting that it cannot be a simple categorisation – a desperate attempt to play off the fact he wasn’t selected, most onlookers to his Facebook post would have said. “What equates to being world class?” Ferdinand wrote in a lengthy post. He continued (see the full post below):
“Sir Alex Ferguson named 4 players from his time at MUFC as being ‘world class’ (where was mine among a few other names boss!!). Can a defender dominate all types of strikers, can he influence others to perform better, are they vocal, a leader, do they have consistency, perform in big games, are they brave, can they play/pass…?”
He then concluded: “Anyway, the debate goes on… Who is WORLD CLASS ?!?!? What is WORLD CLASS!?!?!?!” It’s fair to say, while he won’t want to admit it, the 47-year-old was feeling rather salty about missing out on a mention, and after the central defender played such a key role in the Scot’s success, he may be fair to question Fergie’s ultra-strict criteria.