Rio Ferdinand has boldly stated that Manchester United reign supreme as the “biggest club” in England, despite Liverpool matching their record of 20 league titles and boasting a total of 47 major trophies to date.
United trail with 44, yet Ferdinand holds firm in his belief that the Red Devils hold a larger presence on the global stage than their Merseyside counterparts.
Speaking on his YouTube channel Rio Ferdinand Presents, the former England defender asserted: “They’re [Liverpool] the most successful club in the land, but they’re not the biggest club.
“It’s a fact. You go anywhere in the world, there are more Man United fans than there are Liverpool fans. But that will change if they remain successful and Man United don’t. There will be a swing of new fans who adopt successful teams.
“If Liverpool become that over the next 10 years then they have a chance to balance that up, in terms of the biggest club in the world right now. But right now it’s a landslide win for Man United in terms of being the biggest in the world.”
Engaging in dialogue with ex-Liverpool forward Peter Crouch, Ferdinand expressed his unease regarding the diverging paths of the two clubs, remarking: “It fries my head. I’ve got to be honest, when I was at Man United, we were miles ahead, won leagues, etcetera.
“We clawed it back and then were ahead. I was part of that and it felt great. And now I’m just sitting and watching it before my eyes, just all sliding away. Liverpool have become more successful in the time since I retired. You’ve just got to accept it.”
His former team-mate Gary Neville, however, believes Liverpool stand above United now due to their European success. He stated on Sky Sports: “You have to respect the team that have won the title, they have been the best team. It is one of the great coaching performances we have seen, to come in and not get players, and still achieve this, you have to hand it to him. But it is a sobering day.
“It’s a massive deal. When you think of the importance of a league title and the great managers Liverpool have had: Shankley, Paisley, Kenny Dalglish, Joe Fagan. And then obviously at United as well, talking about the importance of your bread and butter being the league title.
“The accolade of the most successful club, you could debate it maybe when United were on 20 titles because obviously Liverpool have more European Cups. But once Liverpool get level, the painful thing to say is that unfortunately the debate is over for a period until Manchester United become successful again and win leagues.
“It should cause real tremors over at Old Trafford. The idea that Liverpool – which is obviously a great football club – will be the most successful club in English football after today, that really should cause heartache and pain, because it took a lot to get ahead of Liverpool. They were miles ahead when Alex Ferguson took over.”
