Manchester United legend says he and Gerrard never liked each other.

Rio Ferdinand has spoken about the “hate” that existed between him and Steven Gerrard while they were both members of the England national team. The Manchester United and Liverpool stars shared the international stage for most of their playing careers.

Ferdinand earned 81 caps for England between 1997 and 2011, while Gerrard made 114 appearances from 2000 to 2014. Despite their individual abilities, neither player helped the country secure a major trophy.

According to Ferdinand, part of the reason was the rivalry between United and Liverpool, which spilled over into the England dressing room and left Gerrard especially at odds with the defender.

Speaking to The Times (via Mirror), he said: “Steven Gerrard didn’t like me and I didn’t really like him. There was hate between us and our teams (Manchester United and Liverpool). But we’ve put that all to one side now.”

This is not the first time Gerrard’s feud with Ferdinand has been mentioned. The two also appeared together last year to discuss their experiences in the England camp.

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During an episode of Rio Ferdinand Presents, the Liverpool icon said: “I think we were all egotistical losers. Because I watch the telly now and I see (Jamie) Carragher sitting next to Paul Scholes on this fan debate and they look like they’ve been best mates for 20 years.

“And I see Carragher’s relationship with Gary Neville and they look like they’ve been mates for 20 years. I’m probably more close and friendly with you now than I ever was when I played with you for 15 years.

“So why didn’t we connect when we were 20, 21, 22, 23? Was it ego? Was it rivalry? Why are we all mature enough now and at stages in our life where we’re closer and more connected now?

“Why couldn’t we connect as England team‑mates back then? And I think it was down to the culture within England that we were all never connected. All in our rooms too much. We weren’t a team.”

James Agberebi

James is a sport content creator and also does analysis on sports. Also, James has covered international matches involving both Nigeria’s men and women national teams. Facebook : James Agberebi