Rio Ferdinand says he “respects” Jamie Carragher for “calling me out” on Twitter over Cristiano Ronaldo.
In a bombshell interview with Piers Morgan, the full version of which is yet to be released, Ronaldo said he would never respect Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag as the Dutchman doesn’t respect him.
Ronaldo said: “I don’t have respect for him because he doesn’t show respect for me. If you don’t have respect for me, I’m never gonna have respect for you.”
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner also insisted that Ten Hag and some Man Utd senior executives attempted to force him out of the club in the summer.
Ronaldo said: “Yes, not only the coach but the other two or three guys – they’re around the club.” When pressed, Ronaldo added: “Yes, I feel betrayed. And I felt that some people, they don’t want me here. Not only this year, but last year too.”
In response to the clips of the interview Carragher tweeted that only one per cent of Man United fans would be on Ronaldo’s side now – including Ferdinand.
After seeing Carragher’s tweet accusation, Ferdinand asked him to come on his podcast Vibe with Five to debate the issue.
“You know what, you called me out and listen if I expected anyone to call me out on Twitter, it was you,” Ferdinand told the former Liverpool centre-back in a good-natured back and forth.
“You beat anyone else that was capable to the punch so I respect you for that.”
He continued: “Do you know what, on this whole issue, you can’t sit here and defend that from Cristiano Ronaldo because, deep down, and I know for a fact, this has all been manufactured for one thing, and that’s for him to leave the club.
“This love affair that Cristiano’s had with the club is now over in my eyes. I don’t feel there’s any way back, that the club will take him back, or that he wants to come back – that’s a given.
“And I think this is all manufactured for that reason that he wants to get out of this place.”
Despite admitting Ronaldo’s time at Old Trafford has come to an end, Ferdinand still believes the manager and club should have communicated with him better over his role in the team.
“You’ve got to communicate with somebody. You can’t sit there and go ‘oh I’ll bring you on for two minutes, have that’.
“Has that communication [about limited minutes] been had? I’d argue it hasn’t.”
Carragher agreed with Ferdinand, though he doesn’t understand how Ronaldo can claim disrespect from Ten Hag.
“He wants to be sacked, I think that’s obvious,” Carragher said.
“He told the club in the summer he wanted to leave, so I’m not sure where this ‘disrespect’ comes from [with] Erik ten Hag, I just don’t get that at all.
“I think he is disrespecting Man United and Erik ten Hag.
“He wanted to leave in the summer – which is football, these things happen, players want to come and go at different times – but he wanted to leave.
“There were no takers, because maybe his wages, maybe a price Manchester United wanted, and I think he knows that is going to be the same in this next transfer window and maybe the following summer.
“I think he is now trying to basically be sacked or allowed to leave on a free by the club because that is the only way he’s going to get out.”
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