BBC
Leeds chairman Peter Ridsdale has reopened the controversy surrounding Rio Ferdinand's move to Manchester United by criticising the defender's conduct during his transfer.
Ridsdale said he was baffled that Ferdinand asked to leave Leeds shortly after claiming in a national newspaper he wanted to stay.
Ferdinand ended up angering Leeds fans by signing for rivals United in a British-record £30m move.
People say we have sold our best player but you have to take a view on whether that is actually the case or not
Leeds chairman Peter Ridsdale
"When I first received an approach for Rio from the Manchester United chairman, Peter Kenyon, our resolve was not to sell him," Ridsdale told The Daily Mirror newspaper.
"All the speculation started after that but I can assure you that speculation was not prompted by Leeds United.
"I'll leave it up to you to decide who started it.
"I saw Rio when he came back from the World Cup. It was on the Monday before he went off on holiday and he told me he wanted to leave the club.
"That, by the way, was on the very same day he put his name to an article in a national newspaper saying he wanted to stay.
"When he got back from the holiday he then put in a written transfer request saying not just that he wanted to leave Leeds United but that he specifically wanted to join Manchester United.
"At that point we had not received an offer from them that we considered even close to being viable so it was all a bit puzzling."
Brown out for three months
Ridsdale also sought to play down the loss of Ferdinand by claiming the centre-back was only signed as cover for Jonathan Woodgate.
"We actually bought Rio in the first place because Jonathan Woodgate's position was uncertain due to his involvement in what turned out to be two trials.
"Now Woodgate is back, Lucas Radebe is looking sharp again and we've got Dominic Matteo and Michael Duberry and Danny Mills who played in that position in some of the European games.
"People say we have sold our best player but you have to take a view on whether that is actually the case or not."
Which is nice.
Interesting that they should spend 18m on cover for Woodgate. Shrewd piece of business, to say the least.
Leeds chairman Peter Ridsdale has reopened the controversy surrounding Rio Ferdinand's move to Manchester United by criticising the defender's conduct during his transfer.
Ridsdale said he was baffled that Ferdinand asked to leave Leeds shortly after claiming in a national newspaper he wanted to stay.
Ferdinand ended up angering Leeds fans by signing for rivals United in a British-record £30m move.
People say we have sold our best player but you have to take a view on whether that is actually the case or not
Leeds chairman Peter Ridsdale
"When I first received an approach for Rio from the Manchester United chairman, Peter Kenyon, our resolve was not to sell him," Ridsdale told The Daily Mirror newspaper.
"All the speculation started after that but I can assure you that speculation was not prompted by Leeds United.
"I'll leave it up to you to decide who started it.
"I saw Rio when he came back from the World Cup. It was on the Monday before he went off on holiday and he told me he wanted to leave the club.
"That, by the way, was on the very same day he put his name to an article in a national newspaper saying he wanted to stay.
"When he got back from the holiday he then put in a written transfer request saying not just that he wanted to leave Leeds United but that he specifically wanted to join Manchester United.
"At that point we had not received an offer from them that we considered even close to being viable so it was all a bit puzzling."
Brown out for three months
Ridsdale also sought to play down the loss of Ferdinand by claiming the centre-back was only signed as cover for Jonathan Woodgate.
"We actually bought Rio in the first place because Jonathan Woodgate's position was uncertain due to his involvement in what turned out to be two trials.
"Now Woodgate is back, Lucas Radebe is looking sharp again and we've got Dominic Matteo and Michael Duberry and Danny Mills who played in that position in some of the European games.
"People say we have sold our best player but you have to take a view on whether that is actually the case or not."
Which is nice.
Interesting that they should spend 18m on cover for Woodgate. Shrewd piece of business, to say the least.