Rio Ferdinand
Rio Ferdinand (Image: YouTube)
Rio Ferdinand has recalled the night New Year's Eve revellers kept him awake in the team hotel in Newcastle ahead of Manchester United's game against the Magpies.
Ferdinand and his Manchester United team-mates were staying in the city the night before a 2-2 draw at St James' Park in 2007. Manchester United, the league leaders at the time, had only dropped points in four of their previous 21 games, but the Red Devils faced a spirited Newcastle United side, who claimed a deserved result thanks to a double from youngster David Edgar on his first start for the club.
Many years have passed, but Ferdinand has not forgotten the build-up to the game and the same goes for Manchester United's short trip to Wigan Athletic on New Year's Day in 2012. In fact, the former England international even felt moved to take to social media to plead with his followers to 'spare a thought for him' as he slept in the team hotel back then. Let's just say that the post did not garner much sympathy.
"I got hammered for it," Ferdinand admitted. "It was along the lines of, 'Just spare a thought for us footballers that are in hotels while Christmas is going on'.
"I used to think, 'Some of us have got families and we're in a hotel in Newcastle.' You can't sleep because everyone's having a good time and you're thinking, 'Right, I'm having to try and force myself to sleep because I've got a game tomorrow.'"