Ferdinand primed for red-hot battle

RIO FERDINAND will use a close encounter with Liverpool’s fans as his motivation when Manchester United attempt to claim a vital three points at Anfield on Saturday.

The England centre-back, 28, was a spectator when the sides last clashed on Merseyside in February last year.

It proved an unhappy day all round for United, who fell to Peter Crouch’s solitary goal to crash out of the FA Cup and saw striker Alan Smith carried off with an horrific broken leg.