Ferdinand set to join Man United 'old boys' club

Sir Alex Ferguson has hailed the influence of Rio Ferdinand in the Manchester United dressing room as the club prepare to offer him a new contract.

The 33-year-old, whose current contract expires next year, has had no contact from United about a new one but the club are understood to be ready to open discussions before the start of next season, according to reports.

Raising the prospect of Ferdinand joining Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes in the bracket of players who represent United deep into their thirties, Ferguson said: "If you can keep players long enough for their influence to spread - and in the modern game it's difficult to keep players for five or six years - they can take over from the older players as they disappear."

This would be a remarkable turnaround for a player who felt his United career was probably over last year after two injury-plagued seasons.

Ferdinand has been written off many times during the past three and a half years, firstly after the extent of his back problems first became evident.

This season, though, Ferdinand has excelled and, although the 33-year-old has missed games, the most he has sat out on the trot has been three.

"I keep thinking I signed Rio three or four years ago," said Ferguson ahead of Monday night's Premier League encounter with Fulham at Old Trafford.

"I forget he's been here for almost 10 years now. He has taken on that role of the influential person in the dressing room. He is great with the players."

A pay cut from his current £115,000 a week would be inevitable for a player who will be 34 in November and has ongoing back problems which, as Ferguson admits, must be carefully managed.

"We all know about his back problem, so we've had to manage that. He has adapted really well to the challenge of making sure he is fit and fresh to play in the games when we need him," said Ferguson.

"How long he goes on for is all down to how he feels physically, other than that he has no issues at all."

Despite the interest of Major League Soccer's Chicago Fire and recent reports he may be interested in a lucrative move to China, Ferguson is convinced Ferdinand will carry on for a while yet.

"He is still young for a centre back," said the United boss. "In normal terms you would expect a centre back with his athleticism to play well into their thirties anyway."