Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand won't be forced to end his involvement with Twitter.

Ferdinand could be heading for the FA dock after he appeared to endorse controversial tweets that labelled Ashley Cole a 'choc ice'.

But he told The Sun: "I would love to have been able to be close to people like John Barnes, Gazza and Paul Ince when I was a kid. I would love to have just got their autographs, let alone be able to speak to them publicly.

"Twitter is something that lets fans get a bit closer to you, letting them see you do everyday things. A lot of fans presume that you're at the opening of a bar, nightclub or a premiere every other night.

"They don't realise you've got a normal life in most ways, although obviously you're playing in front of thousands of people, with millions of people watching on a Saturday."