RIO FERDINAND has revealed that playing a PlayStation game fuelled Manchester United’s success during his time at the club.
The 44-year-old spent 12 years at Old Trafford following his move from Leeds in 2002 winning six Premier League titles and the Champions League.
Ferdinand played with some of the best players in the world during his time at United and was managed by the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson but actually puts the team’s success down to a PlayStation game.
Speaking to former team-mate Ben Foster on the Fozcast the pair reminisced over how the United squad were obsessed with the game Socom.
Foster said: ” We always used to play a game it was at Man United, on the PSP for those younger listeners it was a handheld PlayStation, we would play Socom – an old school Call of Duty – we used to spend hours on this game didn’t we.”
Ferdinand added that there was disappointment if the journey to away matches was less than an hour.
He said: “If we were doing an hours journey, ah that’s not long enough you need like a two or three hour one so we can get amongst it, like two teams six versus six or five versus five, most of our squad other than the oldies like Gary Neville, Edwin and Giggsy.
“I actually still say part of us winning and our culture was down to that game. Trust me because we were all together in it, like hating each other at times and arguing, people throwing PSP’s it was unbelievable.”
Ferdinand revealed that the obsession went so far they even did goal celebrations dedicated to the game.
He said: “It was unbelievable we scored goals right, me Cristiano, Kieran Richardson, we done a celebration after one of the goals in testament to the game it was unreal honestly.”
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The pair recalled how each player had a nickname with Foster known as ‘Haywire’ and Rio as ‘Brap.’
The obsession wasn’t just confined to United they also played it on England duty.
Foster said: “We got into it so much right, like with England for example there would be a wall we would go in separate rooms but we would have to sit with our backs against the wall just so we’re close to the wall so it would go through the wall.
“You can’t let them hear us because I’m in that room there or there, so what I would do from time is time you would have to go and revive your team mates, so if somebody died you would have to go and revive them.
“I would wait until I have killed somebody down there.”
Ferdinand said of Foster: “He was the most selfish player ever, goalkeeper.”
Foster responded: “Lone wolf, so anyway I would watch him he’s got revived, his mate has gone and revived him and then boom two more kills mate and then I would wait for somebody else to come and get them, easy pickings it was gold though.”
