RIO FERDINAND has revealed he quit TNT Sports after bosses ignored his ideas to improve their coverage.
The Manchester United icon spent ten years with the broadcaster as a pundit before .
Rio Ferdinand has revealed why he quit TNT SportsCredit: AFP
Ferdinand, 47, was keen to pursue his own ambitions independently of TNT Sports, primarily through his ‘Rio Ferdinand Presents’ YouTube channel.
He rejected the opportunity to sign a new contract with TNT Sports, partly because his bosses were not receptive to his new ideas.
Ferdinand told Men’s Health : “I like being tested. I like pressure. I had it fine at TNT. I could have signed a new contract at TNT. Easily. But that ain’t who I am really. It’s time for something new.
“And with all due respect, I’d been trying to push [a new] side of things within the team and the group at TNT, and they weren’t really as receptive as I would’ve liked.
“So that was another big reason why I go, ‘Okay, if you’re not going to jump in two-footed with me and hold hands, then I move on. We’ll see how I do when I go on my own’.
“Because I saw the new world is that linear TV and live football are always going to be there, but there’s also another world outside the 90 minutes that intrigues me, which I look at like a fan.
“So I want to know what the f*** these guys are eating, how do they sleep, how do they recover? I want to get the public closer to that and I want to be at the forefront of that.
“But at the same time, this is just who I am. I’m not trying to be no one, I’m me. I do my own s***. I’ve always been in my own lane.”
Ferdinand has since gone on to , while also for the ceremony.
He has also remained vocal about United’s fortunes this season and on interim boss Michael Carrick.
Ferdinand has been impressed by his former team-mate and he would not be against Carrick being given the job on a permanent basis.
He said: “I’m looking at it and going two weeks ago Man Utd was a sorry state of affairs.
“We were the butt of everyone’s joke. It was a debacle, what we were looking at.
“Michael Carrick’s come in and said, ‘listen guys, get behind me. I’m going to put in a structure that’s going to actually suit the players that we have. We’re going to be hard to play against. We’re going to work hard and we’re going to be a threat’.
“He has got six points and people are telling me that no matter what Michael Carrick does, he shouldn’t get an opportunity to manage Man Utd.
“Where the hell are you people coming from? The disrespect is unbelievable for someone to say no matter what this person does, he doesn’t deserve to be given the keys to Man Utd.
“On what grounds are you saying that? That’s mad talk.”
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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