Rio Ferdinand captained Manchester United for our victorious 2008 Champions League final against Chelsea. Our former defender has revealed that Sir Bobby Charlton came to speak to him before he went up to collect the trophy, talking of the importance and honour, and how the occasion of it all got to him.
He claims that Nemanja Vidic saw that Ferdinand was about to cry so gave him a nudge to compose him.
He came down and started speaking to me about the history of the club, and what it meant to be the captain to go up the steps and pick up the trophy.
He said a few nice, kind words and then I saw my family on the other side and it just hit me – my lip started going and I started to well up a little bit.
I remember Vida just stood there and said, ‘Rio, not here’… And I went, ‘Sorry Vida, yeah’ and we went up.
