Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has admitted that he hated Arsenal legend Ian Wright during their playing days due to the latter’s wind-up tactics.
Rio Ferdinand said that this was the case when he [Ferdinand] used to ply his trade for West Ham United.
Wright scored 168 goals and provided 12 assists in 270 appearances across all competitions for the Gunners.
He also helped Arsene Wenger’s team win five major trophies between 1991 and 1998.
Ferdinand came up through the ranks at West Ham and played for the London side between 1995 and 2000.
It was during this period that he played against Ian Wright’s Arsenal side.
He said on his FIVE YouTube channel, “We had a corner and I was staying back on the halfway line marking Wrighty and as they were setting up, he was just looking at me.
“And I’m looking over at him because he’s only small, and he was looking at me trying to be a wind-up all screw-facing me.
“And then he pushed me in my head and I pushed his hands away and said,‘ What are you doing?’ and he was just laughing, and I thought, ‘I hate this guy’.
“I finished the game and I remember I went back to my mates on the estate and said, ‘I can’t stand Wrighty, he ain’t what we thought he was man, the way he treated me like that.’”