Rio Ferdinand has claimed he urged Manchester United to sign Ben Godfrey while the defender was at Norwich City.
The 23-year-old joined Everton for £25million in the summer transfer window following the Canaries' relegation to the Championship.
Initially working his way into the Everton XI at left-back, Godfrey has become a regular in the heart of Everton's defence and was a key performer as Carlo Ancelotti's side beat Liverpool at Anfield at the weekend.
The centre-back's performances have led to talk of a potential England call-up, with the 23-year-old seemingly possessing all the physical attributes needed in a modern-day defender.
United's defensive pairing of Victor Lindelof and Harry Maguire has come under scrutiny this season, with many suggesting the pair are too similar to play together, and Ferdinand believes Godfrey would've been a good addition - having recommended him to United earlier on during his time at Carrow Road.
“Anyone had a chance to sign him because Norwich were going to let him go," Ferdinand told Vibe with Five. “Listen, I told you before I’d spoken to various people at different clubs, United being one of them as well.
“They could’ve had Ben when he was about 12 or 15 mil, when he just went to Norwich. He’d been there about half a season or a season. But listen, there are so many players we could look at and say, they were missed at that point and they had to pay more.
“That’s just life, that’s part of it, and there are different judges. 99 people can judge a player and not like him and one just says, ‘bang, he’s for me’.
"It’s just that I’ve seen these boys grow so I know what’s under their bonnet. I know what they’re carrying in their toolbox.”
