Man Utd player was 'almost in tears' after Sir Alex Ferguson told him he was retiring

Rio Ferdinand has recalled the emotional moment Sir Alex Ferguson announced his retirement to the Manchester United squad.

Sir Alex left his role as manager of United in 2013, after 26 seasons at the helm at Old Trafford, winning 13 English titles.

Fittingly, Sir Alex ended his managerial career by lifting the Premier League title after bouncing back from missing out on the final day in the previous season.

The Scot claimed at the time that this was the 'right time' for him to step back from his managerial duties, the then 71-year-old had won it all with the club and given the fortunes of his squad since it might have been a wise decision.

One of Sir Alex's biggest achievements during his time at United was the 1999 treble where he won the Premier League, FA Cup, and the Champions League, becoming the first English team to accomplish the feat.

United's record was only equaled by Pep Guardiola's Manchester City side last season.

Given Sir Alex's legacy at the club it was always going to be a huge moment when the news broke to the world that he would be leaving.

Rio Ferdinand recently opened up on the moment Sir Alex announced his retirement to the rest of the squad, well before the rest of the world of football knew.

Speaking on the The Obi One Podcast, Ferdinand said: “I’ll never forget the moment. The air was almost sapped out of the changing room, and everyone just looked at each other."

Robin Van Persie with Sir Alex- Getty

Ferdinand also revealed that one player took the decision much harder than the rest of the squad: “I remember that Robin van Persie signed because the manager was there, and I remember looking at him straight away, and he was almost in tears.

“Although he’s had hardly a season with the manager, he adored the gaffer. The guy was gobsmacked.”