O'Leary did not leave over Rio, insists Ridsdale

LEEDS chairman Peter Ridsdale has once again insisted David O'Leary did not leave Elland Road because of a difference of opinion over the decision to sell Rio Ferdinand.

The switch comes a couple of weeks after Terry Venables replaced O’Leary.

Ridsdale said yesterday: ‘‘David O’Leary told the plc board that if we received a bid of £30m or more he would recommend that we took it because you could not turn down a bid of that magnitude for any player.

‘‘David then said that he would be as one with the board in making that a public statement. Regrettably he has never done that publicly since that board meeting.

‘‘I’m only one of a number of people who sit round the boardroom table. Given that there are five others who will confirm exactly what I’ve just said, we’re disappointed that David appears to be suggesting publicly something that clearly was not said at the board meeting or indeed is reflected in the minutes of that board meeting.’’

Ridsdale also remains adamant that he had no choice but to cash in on Ferdinand once the centre-half had set his heart on a move to Old Trafford.

‘‘The minute that Rio put in a written transfer request, it was a question of trying to get as much money as possible,’’ Ridsdale added.

‘‘When you’ve got a captain of your club who clearly wanted to leave, and not only that, but in fact his request was that he wanted to go to Manchester United, you’re facing a lost cause.’’

Ridsdale said he had already begun to fear the worst following newspaper reports linking Ferdinand with a move across the Pennines during the World Cup and hinted that outside influences during England’s campaign may have affected the defender.

‘‘When he went off to play in the World Cup I had no inkling whatsoever that he wouldn’t be a Leeds player when he came back,’’ said Ridsdale.

‘‘I was very proud of Rio playing for England as a Leeds United player and it was only through the press speculation that it became clearer and clearer that, for whatever reason, his head was being turned to perhaps leave us.

‘‘I can’t say that for a fact because I didn’t go, but I think if anybody wants to follow the saga, the minute the World Cup started and Rio started playing well, it wasn’t that Rio, a Leeds United player, was playing well, everybody was linking him with a move to Manchester United. Think of that what you will.’’

Both Ridsdale and Lazio defender Jaap Stam have dismissed reports linking the former Manchester United star with a move to Elland Road.