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I understand why Cristiano
Ronaldo will win by a landslide when journalists name their
Footballer of the Year in May.
I won't begrudge him it. Not
one bit. I think he's been magnificent all season. He's taken a lot
of physical punishment from defenders and never lost the courage to
take them on.
He's a virtuoso player who
only needs to hang a Champions League medal round his neck for us
to start making legitimate comparisons between him and George
Best.
And of course there's also
the small matter of the 38 goals he's scored this season.
But when I send my ballot
form in tomorrow, I'm going to vote for Rio Ferdinand. Because I
think Ferdinand's contribution has been just as important as
Ronaldo's.
Because he has been
Manchester United's anchor. Because he has become their strongest
influence.
And because he is finally
starting to play like the complete defender everyone hoped he would
become when he was first starting out at West Ham.
Ferdinand has been the best
defender in the Premier League this season by a street.
In fact, identify me a better
centre-half in the world at the moment. A fully-fit John Terry
would run him close. Fabio Cannavaro maybe. Apart from them, I
can't think of one.
Ferdinand's played at the
heart of a United defence that has conceded fewer goals than any
other in the division.
He's played more games than
any other United player this season, too. He's played the big games
and the smaller ones. He doesn't get rested.
And he has disproved the
theory that he needed Gary Neville close at hand on his right to do
his thinking for him.
Most of all, he's turned
himself into a real leader of men at last, a commander rather than
a dilettante.
In the past, others have held
him together. Now he's the glue for the rest.
In Neville's absence, he's
become the heart of the side, a man others look to for their
inspiration and their motivation.
There were times, even in the
recent past, when it seemed that Ferdinand was wasting his
talent.
His inability to stay out of
trouble off the pitch appeared to be in direct correlation with his
frequent lapses on it.
And his readiness to content
himself with a limited role as a stopper prompted former England
boss Glenn Hoddle to observe that Ferdinand was using only about 50
per cent of his potential. That's changed now. Some of his
performances this season have been breathtaking.
He was sublime in the 3-0 win
over Liverpool a few weeks ago. And just as good in the 4-0 FA Cup
demolition of Arsenal.
He has provided silk and
steel in equal measure but as well as his imperious defending, he
has shown fresh signs of becoming a creative force as he steps up
into midfield.
And if all that wasn't enough
it now seems that Ferdinand wasn't the organiser of United's
Christmas party last December after all.
Ronaldo will carry off the
award again because his talent is like a starburst. Ferdinand's
impact has been quieter and all the more impressive for it.
A couple of years ago, the
idea of him succeeding Roy Keane as the soul of Manchester United
would have been laughed out of town.
But now it's Rio who's
laughing last.