Rio Ferdinand interview: "I was so happy that Edwin van der Sar saved Anelka's penalty in 2008... I was next and wouldn't have scored!"

Rio Ferdinand
(Image credit: Robert Wilson)

The time was 1.45am when Bobby Charlton approached Rio Ferdinand. More than 10 years on, as he sits in front of FourFourTwo, there’s still a slight tremble in Ferdinand’s voice as he remembers the words that followed.

The duo were stood inside Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium, and Ferdinand was moments away from collecting the Champions League trophy as Manchester United captain. Minutes earlier, long past midnight in the Russian capital, United had beaten Chelsea on penalties – 40 years after the club’s maiden European Cup triumph over Benfica, and 50 on from the Munich air disaster.

Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

Chris Flanagan
Senior Staff Writer

Chris joined FourFourTwo in 2015 and has reported from more than 20 countries, in places as varied as Ivory Coast and the Arctic Circle. He's interviewed Pele, Zlatan and Santa Claus (it's a long story), as well as covering the World Cup, AFCON and the Clasico. He previously spent 10 years as a newspaper journalist, and completed the 92 in 2017.