Rio Ferdinand was the Rolls Royce of defenders and exit from Manchester United signals changing of the guard

He left Manchester United on the day 23 other Englishmen turned their thoughts to Rio. The symmetry of the aptly-named Rio Ferdinand at a Brazil World Cup was undone by age. There is now no centre-back in either side to match his skill and grace.
Sir Alex Ferguson has always said that he built his best United sides from the back on strong centre-half partnerships. His hope was that he could write the same two names in front of his goalkeeper every week. Steve Bruce and Gary Pallister were an all-English roadblock. Jaap Stam and Ronny Johnsen were a continental duo more suited to Champions League endeavour. Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic reversed the stereotypes. Vidic was the ball-winning warrior and Ferdinand was the elegant quasi-sweeper, gliding alongside a striker and stealing the ball off his toes.
No centre-back currently on United's books can compare with Ferdinand's natural ability, which was obscured in his later years by a loss of pace. Centre-forwards are the ones shown up most cruelly by a slowing of the legs (think Fernando Torres). But it can hurt a top defender just as much. Michael Owen observed that Ferdinand would give strikers a head-start in a sprint for the ball to amuse himself. The forward would think he was through on goal until a faint sense of air-displacement would alert him to the No 5's arrival.
Harry Redknapp's 'Rolls Royce' analogy stayed with Ferdinand all through his career. So did the Bobby Moore baggage and the Franz Beckenbauer hype. Like the rest of the 'golden generation' he was unfulfilled at international level. But his move from Leeds to United for £30m 12 years ago turned him from a showboater into a hardened stopper with fresh powers of concentration.
Ferguson told him almost as soon as he had passed through the gates of United's training ground: "You're a big, casual sod." Only Fergie, you suspect, could have addressed a record signing in such terms. Ferdinand replied: "I can't help it." And Ferguson fired back: "You'll need to help it, because it'll cost you goals, and I'll be on your back."
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