Rio was just back-up: Ridsdale

Leeds chairman Peter Ridsdale insists Rio Ferdinand arrived at Elland Road as "cover" for Jonathan Woodgate.

Manchester United broke the British transfer record with a £30m (€47m) summer swoop for Ferdinand, who cost Leeds £18m (€28.1m) from West Ham in November 2000.

However, Ridsdale is "relaxed" about Leeds' strength at the back, and told the Daily Mirror: "We only actually bought Rio in the first place because Jonathan Woodgate's position was uncertain due to his involvement in what turned out to be two trials.

"People say we have sold out best player but you have to take a view on whether that is actually the case or not.

"You could argue what we have done is cover for Woodgate for 18 months in case he was not around.

"Now we have got him back and we have made a healthy profit on a player we only bought as profit in the first place."

Ridsdale believes Ferdinand was publicly giving the impression he was happy to stay at Leeds, while plotting his move to Manchester United.

"I saw Rio when he came back from the World Cup," added Ridsdale. "It was on the Monday before he went off on holiday and he told me he wanted to leave the club.

"That, by the way, was on the very same day he put his name to an article in a national newspaper saying he wanted to stay.

"When he got back from the holiday, he put in a written transfer request saying not just that he wanted to leave Leeds United but that he specifically wanted to join Manchester United."