Manchester United s success under Alex Ferguson was down to the former manager s intense demands of his animal players, Rio Ferdinand revealed.
Ferguson stepped down in 2013 after 26 years in charge and a remarkable 38 trophies.
The Scot s silverware haul included winning the Premier League 13 times and two Champions Leagues, with Ferdinand part of six of those title-winning teams at Old Trafford.
United have struggled since Ferguson s departure two years ago and former centre-back Ferdinand thinks the manager s recruitment of certain players was the key to success.
Ferguson got rid of players who didn t buy into the Man United way, for one, or weren t capable of being intense every day, Ferdinand told ESPN FC.
That s why you don t remain at a place like Man United. If you re not an animal who can go in there and be intense every day and demand from yourself and others to improve, you won t stay long and good riddance.
Ferdinand, 37, added: It [attitude] comes from the manager, I think, and the players identify that and then go and start playing that out on a regular basis, but I think obviously you need the manager to set the tone, and then the experience being able to deal with it.
I came in to a squad [in 2002] experienced at winning. For example, when I came in, I never knew how to win. I was looking around like a sponge and I had Roy Keane, [Ryan] Giggsy, [Paul] Scholesie in that dressing room.
And if there s a point in the season where I thought, Oh, gotta win this one, is it a nervous time, or are you meant to be remain chilled, or what? You re looking at these lads, and they re preparing the same every game; they re just focused every game, every day in training.
Focused. That s the difference, having people like that who understand it and know it.
And, what happens, I ve been there. I was the one who learned, and I was the one who showed the way, so I ve done both sides. I know you re not born with it but there s got to be someone in that changing room who you go to because he looks like he s so comfortable with the situation, knows it. I ll follow that.
