Rio Ferdinand revealed that his wife was furious after he took a 1 a.m. phone call from former Manchester United teammate Cristiano Ronaldo.
In the summer of 2021, Ronaldo was preparing to leave Serie A giants Juventus after three years in Italy. While rumors linked the five-time Ballon d’Or winner with a shocking move to Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, he ultimately returned to Manchester United. However, less than 18 months later, Ronaldo parted ways with the club following a fallout with manager Erik ten Hag, leaving as a free agent.
Ferdinand, speaking on Ronaldo’s YouTube channel, recalled the moment:
“We spoke on the phone when you were negotiating your return to United, and my wife wanted to kill me! It was 1 a.m., and you called me: ‘Rio, what’s going on? Can we sort this out?’ You ended up signing for United. At first, it was an amazing moment for you, as I could hear the happiness in your voice. But obviously, things went a bit sour afterward.”
