Michael Keane is a lifelong Manchester United fan and has been going to Old Trafford with his season-ticket holding dad since he was a child. He joined the club when he was 11 but was surprisingly sold by Louis van Gaal. The young defender clearly had lots of potential but was never given the opportunity to prove that at United.

Now playing for Everton, scoring his first goal for the club at the weekend, Keane has reflected on the impact that Rio Ferdinand has had on his career.

The big thing I learned from Rio was not something that he taught me it, but something I learned by watching him which was that he was always talking. He would never shut up in training. Even if he wasn’t saying useful stuff he was just talking to make sure he was concentrating as well as those around him.

That’s something I learned to do. If you’re talking it stops you day dreaming about other things. It might not be useful stuff but as long as you’re talking it will help and stop something random coming into your head.

When I was coming through the ranks he was there and always giving me advice. Luckily today I still speak to him a lot. He’s a great person to lean on. He didn’t have to do that when I was younger, but he gravitated to me. Maybe he could see some potential in me and the fact that I worked hard.