Former West Ham centre back tells Declan Rice to avoid Man United

Former West Ham United centre back Anton Ferdinand has admonished Declan Rice to pay no heed to Manchester United as he considers his future.

Rice is the most wanted Premier League player at the moment, with links to Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and most recently, Liverpool. West Ham manager David Moyes has already spoken on behalf of the club by letting all his suitors know that the club will accept nothing less than £150 million for him.

Rice has also rejected three contract renewal offers from the club, which have emboldened his suitors. However, Ferdinand has strongly advised the 23-year-old to ignore Man United’s approach as he considers his next step.

“Man Utd isn’t the place to go right now. They’re going through a massive transitional period,” Ferdinand, who graduated from The Hammers youth academy and played for their senior team between 2003 and 2008, told The Sun.

“For me personally, if I’m Rice, Man Utd is not a place that I’d be going. I’d wait a few years and see what Ten Hag does. Whether he can implement what he did at Ajax at Man Utd and get them looking more like a team that can challenge. Otherwise, what’s the point in leaving West Ham to go somewhere you’re not even challenging for a title?

“You’re challenging to get into Europe. That’s what West Ham are doing – challenging to get into the Champions League. We’ve got something to build on. He’d be in the same place at Man Utd and all it would come down to is the stature of the football club.

“As a footballer myself, I’m not going somewhere just because it’s a bigger club. You’ve got everything at a club where you’re loved and you’re the main man.

“At Man Utd, you’ll be one of many. Whereas, you can stay at West Ham and challenge for Europe and be the main man.”

Ferdinand was asked to put himself in Rice’s shoes and the former defender said that he would stay at West Ham while sympathising with him for wanting a club in the title conversations every season.

“Me personally, I’d rather stay [than join United],” said Ferdinand. “But if it was one of the teams that were fighting for the league, and they came up with the money, it would be hard for West Ham to keep him.

“Like I said, if he did go, as fans we’d appreciate what he has done for the club. He’d always be loved and classed as a legend.

“And if we got £100m-plus for him and it went back into the playing squad, then we can’t grumble.”