Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand admits age hasn't seen Sir Alex Ferguson tone down his infamous hairdryer treatment.

"In the old days, players would expect to get hammered by the manager," said Ferdinand in an interview in GQ magazine out this Thursday.

"But they're not as thick-skinned any more. These young foreign kids come in and when the manager lets off, it's like, "Whoah! Where did that come from? That's not allowed". I've seen them turn pink, and black guys turn white. It's not pretty, it's unbelievable!

"I got the full force after a Champions League game in Benfica. At the time, I was exploding because I thought he was being unfair. But if you talk back to him, he just keeps going louder and louder until you shut up.

"The worst we've seen is after we have behaved badly on a night out. Then, the fireworks explode and he goes bananas. Everyone's heads are on the floor, desperately trying not to catch his eye. And he's right to do it and we all know that if we do it again, we'll be out the door."