Rio Ferdinand taught former Premier League star more in 30 minutes than he’d learned in his entire career

EXCLUSIVE: Rio Ferdinand gave this centre-back invaluable advice that helped him reach his optimum potential.

With six Premier League titles and a Champions League trophy on his resume, there’s no doubt that the defender has cemented his status as one of the greatest English players of all time.

Anton Ferdinand opened up about playing with Rio Ferdinand

In his younger years, Anton Ferdinand learned a great deal from his brother.

However, it wasn’t until he had the chance to play alongside his sibling in a professional game, that he was fully able to absorb the genius of the gifted footballer.

In an exclusive interview with Sporf, Ferdinand said: “Growing up in his shadow was difficult. I had to make sure I was ready for any chance that I got because I knew I’d only get one, because I was his brother, and people would watch for ten minutes and if I didn’t do something that likened me to him, then I was rubbish in their eyes. So, I had to be ready to hit the ground running whenever I got an opportunity.

“Playing with him in Mark Noble and Tony Carr’s testimonials, in that period of time, I was only on the pitch with him for around 25-30 minutes in total. Being honest, I probably learnt more during that time than I did in my entire career, just because of the way he spoke, the information he gave, how precise it was.

“It was something I’d never experienced before in a game. He’d given it me off the pitch, but actually hearing it whilst in a game was fantastic.”

‘I always knew when Carlos Tevez had been out’… Anton Ferdinand tells hilarious story

Rio Ferdinand isn’t the only all-time great Anton has spent time with.

The retired sportsman can remember Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano signing for West Ham like it was yesterday.

And it’s fair to say the Englishman got along with the Argentines like a house on fire.

Amusingly, Ferdinand always knew when Tevez had hit the town.

Featured Image Credit: Getty