Looking back on the variety of captains he worked under, Rio Ferdinand was inevitably drawn into a conversation about Roy Keane.
Having played with West Ham United and Leeds United prior to joining Manchester United in 2002, the former England centre-half had worked with the likes of Steve Potts, Julian Dicks, Steve Lomas, Paolo Di Canio and Lucas Radebe.
Joining United the summer after Arsenal had put an end to Alex Ferguson's hopes that his side could win four Premier League titles in succession, Ferdinand, speaking tonight on BT Sport, revealed the impact the club captain Keane still had on proceedings.
"I look at Roy Keane, and his powers were on the decline probably as a player, an individual, but it was more about his influence, and what he demanded of people.
"On the training ground, in the game over 90 minutes, or in the hotel."
Although Ferdinand admitted that he could handle Keane's approach and it drove him on to be a better player, some players were less receptive to such methods.
"I felt at points there were times when some players would go into their shells because he was so demanding and so forceful."
Refusing to suggest that Keane was any better or worse than the other captains Ferdinand experienced first-hand, it is clear that the brief time he had working under Keane were memorable, to say the least.
"There can be some annoying things about being captain....PFA meetings, collecting fines."#PLTonight on the role of the captain in the modern game is live now! 🚨https://t.co/oVFOcb9ijP
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) September 29, 2018
A scenario that has appeared to follow Keane into his role in management, and assistant management, the methods that worked so effectively as a player could be construed as hindering his development now.
