Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand believes that the increased use of technology in training is taking away the robustness of the new generation.

Due to rapid advancements in the field of sports science over the last few years, it has gone on to become a big part of modern football and most teams nowadays tailor their training on the data ascertained from such scientific studies.

While the usage of technology in football certainly has had its benefits, Ferdinand believes that sports science is limiting the robust nature of new generation players while introducing a culture of 'over-protection'.

Ferdinand said The Telegraph Business of Sport conference: "Julian Dicks used to go out on the training field and just smash balls into the back of the net, and start training, no warm-up.

"Now it's a warm-up - before the warm-up even, you go into the training centre, you go into like a lab, and you've got to do a urine sample, a spit test, and go on a few well-being machines.

"The sports science guy comes up and says 'I don't think you should train today, you're at that level, if you teeter over the edge you won't be fit for Saturday; have a rest day'.

"All of a sudden you starting drilling someone in training, and a sports science bloke pops over: 'Woah, woah, woah, he's in the red'. That's what you're meant to be.

"I grew up in the red a lot of the time in training, and feeling sick, and when you get to a game you're conditioned, ready, and I just think that this new generation, sometimes with computers, are taking away that robustness."