Rio Ferdinand SIGNS Man Utd defender Rio Ferdinand signs a deal to keep him at the club until June 2009. SORTED
Rio Ferdinand has signed a new four-year contract with Manchester United. The England international has ended all doubts about his future and agreed to commit himself to the club on lucrative new terms. It has been reported that the centre back was offered around £100,000 per week to remain at Old Trafford. Sir Alex Ferguson has urged the Manchester United fans to stop barracking Ferdinand ahead of the UEFA Champions League qualifier with Debrecen. The season kicks off for United when the Hungarian outfit travel to Old Trafford on Tuesday night and Ferguson is expecting a tough examination. With Ferdinand still the target of the boo-boys throughout the pre-season, the developments on the eve of the campaign should help ease the pressure on the former Leeds star. "I think we've made our points about that," he stated before the news broke of Ferdinand's signing. "I think we've addressed it in the proper way. "He's a Manchester United player. He's training and has been terrific and given me 100 percent on the football field. All we should concern ourselves about is he's putting that strip on and Manchester United fans would expect to get behind him. "Of course, there's always a percentage who are always hard to please, it doesn't matter what the issues are. "Tomorrow, we've got to get off to a really good start in terms of unity of the whole club - supporters, players and my staff; if we do that, we have a major chance." Ferguson believes The Premiership has overtaken La Liga as the best league in the world. "The English clubs have a great chance of doing well in this cup," he opined. "There is a handicap in terms of the amount of football you have to play but Liverpool did it last year so it can be done. "They're both difficult to win [the Champions League and Premiership]. Look at the Premier Division now. Chelsea had one defeat, Arsenal nil defeats the season before. The bar has been risen. "That's not to say that the level of the top teams has gone beyond everyone, though it might suggest that. "The quality at the moment is fantastic, to be honest. It's better now than Spain. Up to two years ago, I think Spanish football hit a great peak. Without question, it was the benchmark for Europe but I think England has caught up and gone beyond that."
