Ferdinand dismisses possible move to Chelsea

RIO FERDINAND has revealed he would snub any attempt by Chelsea to prise him away from Manchester United.

It has been suggested the England defender would be one of Jose Mourinho's major summer transfer targets, with Blues chief executive Peter Kenyon well-placed to negotiate a deal having signed Ferdinand for United from Leeds three years' ago.

Ferdinand's London background also appears to make a return to the capital an enticing possibility. But, in an interview with the influential Red Issue fanzine, the 26-year-old centre-half insists he has no intention of moving to Stamford Bridge and added that even a long-held desire to ply his trade abroad is some way off being fulfilled.

"There has been talk about Real Madrid and Chelsea but there have been no offers for me while I have been at United and if there were I would dismiss them," he said.

"I can't see myself wanting to go anywhere while we are winning with United and doing well. I am enjoying my football. I am enjoying my life where I am living. I don't think I have ever woken up somewhere that is so comfortable since I left London.

"As a kid, I always said I would like to go abroad, not just for the football but for the lifestyle, to see what it is like. In the future you never know, your feelings could change, but I don't see myself having a burning desire to go abroad just yet."

United boss Alex Ferguson has already identified Ferdinand as the next United skipper when Roy Keane eventually quits Old Trafford, although the €42 million signing insists he would happily remain in the background if it meant the Red Devils' Irish inspiration continuing his playing career. Of more far more importance to Ferdinand is being able to add to his medal collection.

A Premiership winner in his first season with United, he recognises the chance of adding another championship medal to his collection is likely to end in failure this season, leaving him with just the FA Cup to play for.

"Winning the league was the highlight of my career so far," he said.

Ferdinand would already have been the owner of an FA Cup winners' medal if it had not been the eight month ban imposed following his failure to take a drugs' test at United's Carrington training ground in September 2003.

For the first time, the player has admitted to his own failure in the affair, apologising to the Red Devils' supporters, but hinting he had been victimised in receiving such a massive punishment one month more than Adrian Mutu's suspension for actually failing a test.

"I apologise because obviously I wasn't responsible enough (on the day of the test)," he said.

"If that meant missing eight months of football, then obviously I wasn't responsible enough. I could go on for ages and ages, but there is stuff which happened before, with other players, and the precedents that were set, and they went beyond them in my case.