It was on this day in 2002 that the cracks were really beginning to show at Leeds United.
The big spending of the last few seasons was catching up with them, forcing the club to sell their captain and record signing Rio Ferdinand to their bitterest rivals, Manchester United for a fee that totalled £29.1million.

Ferdinand had joined Leeds from West Ham in November 2000 for £18 million, becoming the world’s most expensive defender in the process. He soon became an integral part of David O’Leary’s young, exciting Leeds side, assuming the role of captain from the club legend Lucas Radebe. By the time of the 2002 World Cup his club form had seen him command a regular spot at the heart of the England defence, and his partnership with Sol Campbell was one of the bright spots of another disappointing tournament for the Three Lions.

It was this emergence on the world scene that finally forced Sir Alex Ferguson to splash the cash on Rio. Ferguson had long been an admirer of the Peckham-born centre back and was close to making a move for him before Leeds snapped him up. Fergie, however, believed that his young charge Wes Brown would become “the best centre back in the world.” Not quite, Sir Alex.



The then-Leeds Chairman Peter Ridsdale made repeated claims that Ferdinand would not be sold. However, a £15 million payment to the bank had to made that summer and with Leeds’ failure to qualify for the next season’s Champions League and the collapse of Lee Bowyer’s move to Liverpool and Oliver Dacourt’s to Lazio, Ridsdale had to renege on his bolshy promises and accept Manchester United’s offer.

The following September, Rio was to return to Elland Road, with the Leeds’ faithful giving him the warm welcome you would expect - plenty of Judas banners and a chorus of boos, as Leeds ground out a long-awaited victory over their historic rivals.

Ferdinand may have won two titles with the Red Devils, but it hasn’t all been plain sailing. An eight month ban for missing a routine drugs test and the clip below will both bring a smile to the faces of Manchester United’s many rivals.

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