Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has no doubts about his long-term fitness.

Ferdinand has just returned to action after another spell on the sidelines.

But declaring himself fitter than ever, Ferdinand told the Daily Star Sunday: "Last season I played 19 games on the run and got through the Christmas period.

"Getting that far was important for me, proving to myself that I could ­maintain a level of ­fitness.

"But when you're out, you've got to draw on the ­experience of getting through that period and make sure you're ­concentrating on getting back into the team, ­rather than thinking about your replacements and other things."