"All he cares about is scoring" - Rio Ferdinand claims 163-goals striker would have been perfect for Manchester United
Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand believes that former Premier League attacker Jermain Defoe would have been an asset under Sir Alex Ferguson's reign.
Speaking on the podcast Vibe With Five (via Metro), Rio Ferdinand disclosed:
"The one player I always used to say to him [Ferguson] if you want to buy someone from our England team… Defoe. Because he wouldn’t have started for us [Manchester United] all the time, but it would’ve been another type of Chicharito [Javier Hernandez], that he comes on, and all he cares about is scoring, and if we’re winning 5-0 he’ll want to make it 6-0.
"He’s got that inner, ‘I need goals, I live, smell and breathe goals’. We would’ve got him in so many positions to score it would’ve been a joke."
Defoe, a prolific striker during his playing days in England, netted 163 goals and provided 30 assists in 496 Premier League games. Overall in 760 games, he scored 302 goals and provided 58 assists. The former striker found the net every 165 minutes on average as a professional footballer.
The retired striker has claimed silverware with Tottenham Hotspur in the form of the EFL Cup and won the Scottish Championship with Rangers.
Danny Murphy urges Manchester United to provide better service to Rasmus Hojlund for Premier League success
Football pundit Danny Murphy believes Manchester United have landed themselves a 'hell of a player' in Rasmus Hojlund. Yet, the former Liverpool midfielder pointed out that the team needed to provide regular service to fully realize Hojlund's lethal scoring abilities.
The Danish attacker has impressed recently, scoring twice against Galatasaray in the UEFA Champions League. However, he has yet to find the net in the Premier League.
Speaking to talkSPORT, Murphy stated (via United In Focus):
“I like him. I think he is going to be a hell of a player. You need to build relationships, and it takes a bit of time sometimes. It doesn’t help when you’ve got Antony on one side who has flattered to deceive and is so predictable. Some more balls into the box (for Hojlund) would be good.”
Unlocking Hojlund's scoring prowess could very well be the catalyst Manchester United need to rejuvenate their campaign. They have notably lost four games out of nine in the Premier League this season.