MANCHESTER UNITED legend Rio Ferdinand has revealed Sir Alex Ferguson only tolerated lip from one person – his favourite dinner lady!
Fergie famously had busts ups with a number of his top stars, including David Beckham, Jaap Stam, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Roy Keane.
And Rio, who had his first baby with wife Kate this week, revealed that his ‘Manchester aunt’ Carol was the only person allowed to make jokes at Fergie’s expense.
Carol is a long-serving dinner lady at the club’s Carrington training ground and is loved by players and staff.
Rio, 42, said: “Carol was a very funny lady. I loved speaking to her and having a laugh over a cup of tea at the training ground. She would treat everybody the same, academy players, Premier League champions or Sir Alex Ferguson, one of the biggest names in the history of football.
“I remember once he walked in wearing a smart pair of cream chinos as I was talking to Carol, she stopped our conversation and just said to him ‘what are you wearing?!’ which made us all laugh.”
The former England skipper, who won six Premier League titles, two League Cups and the Champions League at Man Utd, caught up with Carol as part of the BT +1 initiative.
It is aiming to help fight loneliness this Christmas by encouraging people to reconnect.
Rio added: “During the 12 years I spent at Manchester United I saw Carol almost every day at the training ground, she was part of the fabric of the club and always there through the good and bad times.
“I saw her more than I would see some members of my family. But then after I retired, I didn’t see her for a couple of years… so the chance to reconnect with her was amazing.”
Rio revealed he still seeks her out whenever he returns to Carrington and added: “We’ve built a genuine friendship over the years. When you meet a person like Carol, you don’t forget them.”
Speaking about loneliness at this time of year Rio said, “More than four million people are in a position of loneliness, its staggering when you think about it and really hit home when we went into lockdown this year.
“A quick video or phone call to friends or family can have a great impact on mental wellbeing.”
For more information about BT’s +1 movement to beat loneliness visit: BT.com/plusone
