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Rio Ferdinand has opened up on his Manchester United send-off and has branded the club as 'one of the worst' in farewells.
The former Red Devils defender said that he understands Jesse Lingard's brother's anger for not giving the midfielder an Old Trafford send-off.
Jesse Lingard's brother Louie Scott reacted angrily to the winger's absence during Manchester United's 3-0 win over Brentford. It would have been the final home game for Lingard in United's colors. Scott branded the club "classless" as his brother was denied a farewell home appearance having served the club for 22 years.
Rio Ferdinand has said that Manchester United are the worst club in terms of giving farewells. The Red Devils legend has also said that he himself was very much annoyed by the way he was offloaded to Queens Park Rangers a year before his retirement.
Ferdinand said on his YouTube channel Vibe with Five:
"I think United are one of the worst at doing it. You see clubs abroad when players who have given big chunks of their career, been successful to the clubs, the send-offs they get are phenomenal and rightly so."
"But it’s not something… United don’t really treat it with the kind of importance you see at other clubs. I’m not saying you deserve it but sometimes when you feel you’ve given a lot of yourself to a football club, it’s a nice way to go."
"But it happens, I was actually p****d off for a while with the way I got told, I’m over it now, it’s cool. Jesse’s brother, I understand how they feel, hot behind the collar, not happy with what’s happened."
Ferdinand has however stated that Lingard's brother should have acknowledged that Manchester United denied a proper send-off to many players who delivered more than the midfielder. He added:
"My family members were not happy but my family would never have gone on social media and talked freely like that, I told them, my family knew that, there was an understanding."
"But everyone’s different, Jesse’s brother obviously felt the way he did, but you’ve got to show a bit of awareness, look at the history of what United have done with players who have done more than Jesse."
He concluded:
"They haven’t been afforded that send-off, so you’d probably put the brakes on reacting the way he did, but everyone’s different."
Has Jesse Lingard been harshly treated at Manchester United?
Jesse Lingard is set to leave Manchester United in the summer with his contract expiry and it has been a frustrating season for the Englishman.
Following a scintillating six-month loan spell at West Ham United during the second half of the 2020-21 season, the attacking midfielder could have revived his Red Devils career.
However, he has not been given the opportunity even after such a remarkable loan spell during which he scored nine goals and provided five assists in 16 games.
Lingard has been limited to just 355 minutes of Premier League action this season but he still managed to score twice.
It is fair to say that the England international has not been treated in the right manner by his boyhood club.
From a financial point of view as well, it made no sense for Manchester United not to sell him last summer and now, a year later, they are likely to lose him for free.
