Rio Ferdinand claims that he would still be at Manchester United if Ryan Giggs had been appointed as David Moyes’ successor.

The 35-year-old recently ended his brief spell as a free agent by signing for newly promoted QPR on a one-year deal.

Ferdinand had been a United player for 12 years prior to his exit, and featured regularly last season despite his advancing years.

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The decision to let him go was rumoured to have been a difficult one at the club, but new chief Louis van Gaal is understood to have sanctioned the call as he looks to usher in a new era at Old Trafford.

Giggs was another name in the frame to take control of the dugout after stepping in on a temporary basis when David Moyes was fired at the back end of last season, and Ferdinand says that he would probably still be a Red Devils player if the Welshman – who is now LVG’s assistant - was given the top job:

“Giggsy is one of my mates and I played with him for years,” he told talkSPORT.

“When he took the job he had to look at it like he was going to be in the seat for next season. He made it clear to me I would have stayed and been part of his plans.

“But things change in football quickly, you have to move on. The dynamic there has changed so you have to dust yourself down and get on with it.

“I made it clear at the time Man United would have to tell me they didn't want me for me to leave and that happened at the end of season.

“The club said thank you and goodbye. That happens in football, I'm not special and the club has to move on.”

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