Leeds United were once a powerhouse of English football, but their 16-year absence from the Premier League this century has somewhat diminished their standing in the game.

Many might forget some of the huge names they once had at the club. One who very much got away from them was Rio Ferdinand, who excelled for the Whites but would go on to become one of the best defenders of his generation at Manchester United.

Leeds made him the world’s most expensive defender in 2000 when he was brought to Elland Road for £18m from West Ham United, and he would prove to be worth the outlay.

He was so impressive that just two years in Yorkshire was enough to see the Red Devils break the British transfer record and sign him for £30m.

It seemed like an impressive bit of business from the Whites, but what Ferdinand would go on to achieve far outweighed the £12m profit that Leeds earned.

He would go on to play 455 times for the Manchester club and won almost every trophy available to him. He became a mainstay under Sir Alex Ferguson, who so often rebuilt his teams to continue challenging in different eras.

Ferdinand remained the constant - a testament to his ever-growing skillset. Even the great Robert Pires named him among the "toughest" centre-backs he faced in his glittering career.

At Old Trafford, the Englishman won six Premier League titles, three League Cups and one Champions League, along with the FIFA Club World Cup and numerous Community Shields.

His stay at Leeds was brief, but had they been able to keep hold of him for a bit longer, they might have been able to build upon their fourth and fifth-placed finishes in 2001 and 2002.

Instead, they opted for the temporary financial boost instead. They were relegated just two years after the sale and would not return to the Premier League until 2020.

Following Ferdinand's eight-month ban from football after an issue with drug testing, Ferguson labelled the player's conduct surrounding the matter “phenomenal”, outlining the “praise and admiration” that the Scot had for him.

To earn such a glowing recommendation from arguably the greatest manager of all time is enough to outline what a mistake Leeds made, as Ferdinand could have instead been their stalwart to lead them to glory.