Rio Ferdinand named David de Gea as the only current Manchester United player he’d want to fight with on the pitch with the rest of the team lacking character.
The Red devils suffered a 4-1 defeat to rivals Manchester City on Sunday as they slipped out of the top four race.
But it was the manner of their perfromance which left the likes of Gary Neville and Roy Keane fuming after the game, claiming the players gave up in the second half.
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Over one 15 minute period towards the end, Man City had enjoyed a superb 92 per cent possession of the ball.
Ferdinand has now had his say on the display and could only take positives from De Gea’s attitude when the club were up against it in their trip to the Etihad stadium.
Speaking on his YouTube channel Vibe with Five, Ferdinand said: ‘In the first half we could say that Man United were in the game, but in the last 20 minutes, as (pundit) Roy Keane said on Sunday, and it was very true, we found out about players when the chips are down.
‘We found out what they’re really made of and what it is like when players are down and out almost on their knees. Who has the character?
‘Who can you look in the eye and go: “I still want to go to war with this guy?” Maybe not it has not happened for us today, quality-wise, or with missed chances, but I know that geezer will work with me and for me and make sure we get by someway or somehow through perseverance or hard work.’
When asked which of United’s stars he would fight alongside for success on the pitch, he said: ‘After that 20 minutes I wouldn’t think of many names. David de Gea, maybe, but it is different if you’re a goalkeeper in that situation.
‘Nobody covered themselves in glory. No one, out of the players that stepped on that football pitch in the last 20 minutes (covered themselves in glory).’
