Rio Ferdinand claims he played key role in Dan Ashworth’s Newcastle appointment

Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has endorsed the club’s move to appoint Dan Ashworth as their new sporting director.

Ashworth has been placed on gardening leave by Newcastle United after he informed the club of his desire to join the new project at Old Trafford.

The Magpies are holding out for a compensation fee in the region of £20million for Ashworth, who is under contract at St James’ Park until the summer of 2025.

After Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s INEO group purchased a 25% stake in Manchester United, they made Ashworth their top target to come in as their new sporting director.

The 52-year-old has developed a reputation as one of the best sporting directors in football following successful spells with West Brom, England and Brighton before joining Newcastle.

Ferdinand claims Ashworth is “the best”

Ferdinand is a huge fan of Ashworth and described him as the “best” sporting director in the game, ahead of a potential move to Manchester United.

And the former England captain also claimed he told people at Newcastle to “go and get him” as their sporting director back in 2022.

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“I think he’s the best,” Ferdinand said on his YouTube channel, FIVE.

“He’s so calm, he’s so sure in what he’s doing. He’s so focused, diligent, he knows the market. 

“[He is] Not swayed, I don’t think he gets bullied by agents and stuff like that. We should go back into the archives. I said that Man United should have got him time ago. 

“If I had my choice to take a sporting director it would have been him. I spoke to him at Brighton. People at Newcastle asked me my opinion and I said, I’d go and get him and they went and got him.”