Rio Ferdinand has revealed one of his former Manchester United teammates was “almost in tears” after Sir Alex Ferguson told them he would retire in 2013.
Ferguson’s legendary career at Old Trafford came to an end at the end of the 2012-13 season, with the ex-United manager leading the club to the Premier League title.
The 82-year-old revealed in 2013 it was the “right time” to step away from management, having arrived at Old Trafford in 1986 as Ron Atkinson’s replacement.
The Scotsman had previously announced in 2001 that he would retire in 2002 before Ferguson made a stunning U-turn and carried on with his success at United.
United became the first English team in history to win a continental treble in 1999 thanks to Ferguson, with the iconic Scot hoovering up silverware at Old Trafford.
Ferguson’s incredible trophy haul at United included 13 Premier League titles, two Champions League trophies, five FA Cups and four League Cups.
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Ferdinand on Ferguson’s United exit
Ferdinand spent the majority of his United career under Ferguson’s tutelage and thrived under the former Red Devils boss’ illustrious reign at Old Trafford.
Speaking to Chelsea legend John Obi Mikel, the United legend said the “WhatsApp messages started getting crazy” before Ferguson’s retirement went public.
Ferdinand revealed that the air from the United dressing room was “sapped out” and how former Red Devils teammate Robin van Persie was “almost in tears.”
“The WhatsApp messages started getting crazy the night before the news hit the media,” he told The Obi One Podcast.
“And in the morning, everyone is texting each other that the manager is leaving.
“I’ll never forget the moment. The air [was] almost sapped out of the changing room, and everyone just looked at each other.
“I remember that Robin van Persie signed because the manager was there, and I remember looking at him straight away, and he was almost in tears.
“Although he’s had hardly a season with the manager, he adored the gaffer. The guy was gobsmacked.”
Van Persie and Ferguson at United
Van Persie was an instrumental figure in United’s last Premier League title triumph, with Ferguson prying him away from Arsenal in a £24m deal in 2012.
The 40-year-old Dutch former striker secured the Premier League Golden Boot in 2013 after scoring an impressive 26 times in United’s title-winning season.
Van Persie scored a sensational first-half hat-trick against Aston Villa to seal United’s 20th Premier League trophy, with Ferguson bowing out at the end of the season.
The former Arsenal and United star admitted that he was “disappointed” when Ferguson left Old Trafford, but he was “thankful” that he had played under him.
“It wasn’t part of the plan,” Van Persie told United’s UTD Podcast in 2020.
“But it’s football, these things happen: players move on, people retire. His reason I did fully get, it was a private matter – that’s why he stopped.
“He gave 26 years to the club; he did an unbelievable job. I was disappointed, but that’s it.
“After that, you move on. I was thankful to have worked for him for a year.”