Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand believes new head coach Ruben Amorim has the pedigree and charisma to succeed at Old Trafford.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Rio Ferdinand Presents, the former United defender explained what separates Amorim from his predecessor Erik ten Hag.

“If Pep Guardiola had left, I think Amorim would have been someone City would have looked for,” said former England centre-back Ferdinand.

“There are similarities with what Erik ten Hag was doing at Ajax, but what I would say is that Amorim took a club that was in a period of sterility.

“They couldn’t compete with Porto or Benfica, they didn’t come close to winning the championship. A disenchanted fan base. Trouble behind the scenes. He walked in there and immediately reversed their fortunes. He changed their style of football, their style of play, and expectations.

“I think the biggest difference between the two (Amorim and Ten Hag), from what I hear from people who have played but also been there, is the character and the charisma by compared to Erik ten Hag who will make the big difference.

“United need someone with character and charisma to say ‘you know what, I don’t care what happened here, I see a player in you, I see a player in you.’ You need someone who will be like that.

“He’s a man who built Manuel Ugarte, who came to Manchester United. He built a £60m player. He changed the landscape of a football club. It’s not easy to do. I don’t care what league you’re in.

“I spoke to (former United teammate) Nani the other day and he said to me ‘Rio, the players love him, the players play for him, love him and they respect him’.

“He said Amorim was very direct and direct. There were perhaps inconsistencies in the way Ten Hag disciplined. You have to have clear lines when you approach these topics and these players.”

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