Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Sam Elliott

Rio Ferdinand 'lined up for Man Utd return' as Glazers try to lure ex-star back

Manchester United are giving serious consideration to bringing Rio Ferdinand back to the club as their new sporting director.

The Old Trafford legend played more than 300 times for the club in 12 seasons and it is claims talks have already been held.

The Glazer family, United's owners, have wanted the ex-defender to work for them for a number of years.

But according to the MailOnline , executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward has already met with the former England centre-back.

Ferdinand is a six-time Premier League winner can add know-how and passion to the role, the owners say.

Only personal circumstances have stopped Rio agreeing before (PA)

The six stats that show Loris Karius has had a better season than David De Gea

Mike Phelan has also reportedly held talks over the technical director position.

No decision has been reached on either position.

Manchester United are struggling to make the Champions League and realistically must win their final two matches to reach the top four.

“I don’t think we can give up until it’s theoretically over, but of course it’s a big mountain to climb," said Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the club's manager.

He was a hero in his playing days - and fans back a return (Reuters)

Man Utd keep or sell: Which players will still be at Old Trafford next season?

"We need to focus on those last two games, do our best for ourselves, win games and see what the other games throw up. The end of a season throws up a few marginal decisions, strange results, so anything can happen.

”We still want to finish the season on a high and let’s see where that takes us now. Let’s see how many points we can get.“

The manager has also backed his goalkeeper after a torrid second half to the season.

David de Gea made a big error in the 1-1 draw with Chelsea which could prove so costly.

Ed Woodward needs to brings supporters some good news (Getty Images)

Football legend demands better radiotherapy treatment for cancer patients

He said: “David has been a fantastic keeper at this club, his reaction after Manchester City was good and I was confident in him. He knows he could do better with their goal but it’s one of those things again.”

“David has been unbelievable. We support each other.

"There is no chance anyone can blame him for losing points. He knows he could have had that shot but that is football.

"David is one who likes to play games and I will have chats with him and he will respond in the right way."

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.