Rio Ferdinand Reveals How He And Frank Lampard Stopped Speaking

Rio Ferdinand has revealed how he stopped speaking to Frank Lampard because of their rivalry at club level.

The duo appear as pundits together for BT Sport on their Premier League and Champions League but in their height of their careers, their relationship was non-existent, as Ferdinand detailed on BBC's NFL Thanksgiving special.

Image: PA

From 16-21, the two roomed together at West Ham and were inseparable, but when they were tussling it out for Manchester United and Chelsea respectively, it all went out the window - despite a falling out never actually taking place.

Ferdinand told The NFL Show host's Osi Umenyiora and Jason Bell

"I wrote a chapter in my book about Frank Lampard. We grew up together at West Ham, then we went our separate ways. I went to Man Utd and he went to Chelsea. We did everything together from 16 to 21, we roomed together, travelled together, did everything together.

"When I went to Man Utd and he went to Chelsea, we stopped talking. We never spoke about it, we just stopped talking. I wrote this chapter at the end of my career, before it went out, out of courtesy I sent it to Frank and asked him if it was okay to include. He text me back saying if he had written a chapter on me, it would have been word for word. Exactly the same.

"We didn't hate each other but I didn't want to give him anything that he could take back to Chelsea. I didn't like him anymore really because he was playing for Chelsea. He was getting his hands on a trophy that I wanted. It was an obsession with winning.

"We grew apart and didn't speak. But now we speak. He was at my birthday the other day. What sport can do to a personal relationship is nuts. It's mad. All for the obsession of winning."

Ferdinand and Lampard, alongside the likes of Steven Gerrard, David Beckham, Paul Scholes and more, were dubbed as the 'golden generation' yet the crop of players never quite gelled to reach their full potential.

Image: PA

And Ferdinand's above comments offer an explanation as to why no success was achieved with the group at international level, despite all of them doing very well for their respective clubs.

Topics: Frank Lampard, Manchester United, England, Rio Ferdinand, West Ham

Josh Lawless

Josh is a writer who specialises in football and wrestling. He has been published by Curzon Ashton FC, Late Tackle, Manchester City FC, The Mirror, Read Man City and Manchester Evening News. He provides coverage of professional wrestling and has interviewed some of the biggest names in the field - including the first UK interview with The Hardy Boyz after their return to WWE. He has never sported a pair of Lonsdale Slip-ons, contrary to reports.

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