Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand says the players are confident of more success as they lose manager Sir Alex Ferguson. The centre-back says Ferguson has given his successor every chance of maintaining the club's position at the head of the pack.

"I think this is the way the manager, in his dreams, would have liked to leave the club - in a fit state for someone else to come in and take the reins," said Ferdinand on MUTV.

"We're not going to be looking up to other teams, we're looking down and saying: 'Come and catch us'. We're in a fantastic position. Obviously, Sir Alex's shoes are massive shoes to fill but David Moyes couldn't be walking into a healthier situation. The young players here are hungry and want to win stuff. The senior players have won a lot of things but have still got the desire and the work ethic that the manager has instilled into us. I think that's vital for the future of the football club."