Rio Ferdinand explains how a PlayStation game helped Manchester United win trophies

Rio Ferdinand has credited a PlayStation game as one of the main reasons behind Manchester United's success during his time at the club.

The former England international spent 12 trophy-laden years at Old Trafford following his £30 million move from Leeds.

Here, he lifted six Premier League titles, three League Cups and a Champions League under Sir Alex Ferguson, who ruled with an iron fist during his 27-year reign in Manchester.

That being said, Ferguson did allow his players some downtime, in particular on the way to games, when the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney would play PlayStation game SOCOM.

SOCOM, created by Zipper Interactive and released between 2002 and 2011, was a third-person tactical shooter video game for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3 and PSP.

It was a game that brought the team together. in fact, Ferdinand is convinced it helped create a winning culture in the squad.

Speaking to former United teammate Ben Foster on the Fozcast podcast, they opened up about the influence it had.

Foster began: "We always used to play a game it was at United, on the PSP for those younger listeners it was a handheld PlayStation.

"We would play Socom - an old school Call of Duty - we used to spend hours on this game didn't we."

Rio Ferdinand replied: "If we were doing an hours journey, ah that's not long enough you need like a two or three hour one so we can get amongst it, like two teams six versus six or five versus five, most of our squad other than the oldies like Gary Neville, Edwin and Giggsy.

"I actually still say part of us winning and our culture was down to that game. Trust me because we were all together in it, like hating each other at times and arguing, people throwing PSP's it was unbelievable."

Ferdinand would later reveal that they dedicated a celebration to SOCOM after scoring against Manchester City at Old Trafford on December 9, 2006

"It was unbelievable," he said. "Me, Cristiano and Kieran Richardson done a celebration after one of the goals in testament to the game. It was unreal honestly."

Foster would also claim that others got involved on international duty, too.

"We got into it so much right, like with England for example there would be a wall we would go in separate rooms but we would have to sit with our backs against the wall just so we're close to the wall so it would go through the wall.

"You can't let them hear us because I'm in that room there or there, so what I would do from time is time you would have to go and revive your team mates, so if somebody died you would have to go and revive them.

"I would wait until I have killed somebody down there."

Image credit: SOCOM

Ferdinand would call Foster "the most selfish player ever" when commenting on his former teammates exploits on the game.

Foster hit back, saying: "Lone wolf, so anyway I would watch him he's got revived, his mate has gone and revived him and then boom two more kills mate and then I would wait for somebody else to come and get them, easy pickings it was gold though."

Topics: Rio Ferdinand, Manchester United, Premier League, Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Gaming

Jack Kenmare

Senior Journalist at SPORTbible with a passion for long-form journalism. Almost 10 years’ experience across online and print.

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