Rio Ferdinand sums up in four words the meeting with Erik ten Hag after the interview with Cristiano Ronaldo

Rio Ferdinand has admitted he was worried about how his meeting with Erik ten Hag would go after his blockbuster interview with Cristiano Ronaldo, given the Portuguese star's frosty relationship with the Manchester United boss. The England great visited Carrington training complex last week to interview the Dutchman just hours after his interview with his former team-mate was published and admitted “everything went perfectly” despite his anxieties.

Ronaldo has criticised Ten Hag's mentality on social media, admitting that the United manager was wrong to say that the club was not fit to compete for the Premier League title. The potentially awkward reception that Ferdinand thought he had received was in fact quite the opposite.

Appearing on Rio Ferdinand Presents alongside co-host Joel Beya and guest Jermaine Pennant, Ferdinand first joked about the timing of the Ronaldo interview, saying: “It made it a bit awkward, I have to be honest with you,” before explaining: “The Cristiano interview aired on the Thursday at 8 or 9am that morning, I was at the training ground at 10am.”

Ferdinand's fears were quickly allayed when he revealed: “As the interview was over, I walked in thinking 'it might be a bit chilly this morning, [I’ve] I got to see Erik ten Hag and the players, so I went in [and] It was really nice. I liked what I saw when I walked in there the other day, I have to say. The atmosphere seemed as clean and pure as I'd seen it in a while. Smiles everywhere.

“I was walking and talking to Erik ten Hag for an interview, training was over and I was walking around. I was looking out onto the pitch and two players were there doing extras – shots. They were laughing, giggling, competing. Bruno and Marcus Rashford.

“It really warmed my heart, you know, because we were talking a lot about Rashford not looking happy. I was one of the main voices saying we need to see a happy, smiling, joyful Marcus to get the best out of him.”

Appreciating the smile on Rashford's face, Ferdinand added: “I stopped the interview and said 'look at Marcus laughing, he looks happy man! That's not the Marcus I see every weekend', and the manager said 'that's the Marcus we see every day here'.”

After a mixed start to the season for Manchester United, Ronaldo's comments towards Ten Hag, who acted as if nothing had happened, have sparked fresh controversy. “He said that, that Manchester United can't win the Premier League,” the Dutchman said.

“He said that. If you read the article. He's far away in Saudi Arabia, far away from Manchester, so everybody can have an opinion and is entitled to have an opinion. That's OK.” Ten Hag's side recovered from their 3-0 humiliation by Liverpool earlier this month to beat Southampton 3-0 last weekend.