Rio Ferdinand reveals reason why he ‘couldn’t stand’ and ‘hated’ Ian Wright after first playing against him
RIO FERDINAND has revealed the reason why he “couldn’t stand” and “hated” Ian Wright after first playing against him.
The pair faced off against each other during a clash between Arsenal and West Ham before later working together as pundits.
However, Ferdinand has revealed that he was furious with the Gunners icon after their first meeting.
The defender had idolised Wright growing up, before breaking into the Hammers first-team.
Recalling their encounter on his FIVE podcast, he said: “We had a corner and I was staying back on the halfway line marking Wrighty.
“As they were setting up he was just looking at me and I’m looking over him coz he’s only small.
“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.”
The incident angered Ferdinand, who added: “I finished the game and I remember I went back to my mates on the estate and saying ‘I can’t stand Wrighty, he ain’t what we thought he was man, the way he treated me like that.’
“It wasn’t until a year or so later when I met him again with England, where he said ‘Nah man, that’s the game, that’s what we do! I’ve got to get under your skin!’, and I was like I see, I’ve got it now. He was just a different guy.”
Wright himself has remembered his first clash with Ferdinand as well.
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He previously told Off the Ball: “Someone like Rio Ferdinand then, he was vexed with me because when he was younger he really liked me.
“So, the first thing I did was slaughter him about the way he looked and played. He used to hate me.”
Ferdinand and Wright faced each other three times in meetings between Arsenal and West Ham.
They would later play together 19 times for both England and the Hammers.
The pair have also worked together as pundits since retiring, including at international tournaments.