Rio Ferdinand has already spoken up about a former Manchester United target who could have stepped in before Ruben Amorim took charge of the club.
Ruben Amorim’s first anniversary as United manager coincided with their Premier League fixture against Nottingham Forest.
Erik ten Hag was sacked in October 2024, and Rio Ferdinand’s former Red Devils teammate Ruud van Nistelrooy stepped in as interim head coach.
Amorim had built his reputation at Sporting CP, and many believed he was the right choice to lead United forward.
The Portuguese manager has been backed by Ineos with a series of summer signings, and Sir Jim Ratcliffe has publicly supported him as well.
Roberto De Zerbi was linked with Manchester United before Erik ten Hag left
Erik ten Hag’s time at Manchester United was already under serious scrutiny by the end of the 2023-24 season, following a disappointing Premier League campaign.
Ineos had launched an end-of-season review and had explored the appointment of a new United manager, with England boss Thomas Tuchel heavily linked at the time.
Despite that, Ten Hag managed to finish on a high, leading United to a surprise 2-1 win over Manchester City in the FA Cup final at Wembley.
But with no clear successor available heading into the 2024-25 season, Ten Hag ended up signing a contract extension to stay on as manager.
Pochettino, Frank and De Zerbi were all rumoured as possible candidates for the role during Ten Hag’s time in charge. A recent report from The Athletic’s Andy Mitten explained why De Zerbi never took over at Old Trafford.
Speaking on Rio Ferdinand Presents, the former defender said: “Who cares? We’re in the moment where Amorim is starting to find a bit of positivity and then we’re writing about someone who could have or should have taken the job over a year ago.”
Why Roberto De Zerbi never became Man Utd manager and Rio Ferdinand’s feelings on the Marseille head coach
Roberto De Zerbi was reportedly the leading candidate to take over at United after Thomas Tuchel missed out on the job in 2024, according to Andy Mitten.
But a deal with the former Brighton and Shakhtar Donetsk manager didn’t come together, with financial terms believed to be a sticking point for United’s offer.
Ferdinand, who is still held in high regard by many at Old Trafford, said he would have backed De Zerbi’s appointment back then but believes there’s no sense dwelling on what didn’t happen.
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“Listen, De Zerbi was one of my first choices,” he continued. “If I would have been looking to recruit a manager back then, he would have been one of my first choices. So that’s history, that’s gone.”
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