The English football legend highlighted the Portugal star’s rare loyalty to the Red Devils, admitting he might have found it hard to turn down the lucrative Saudi Arabian offers himself."The one thing it says to me, there's a loyalty. And I think that word gets banded about quite a lot, but we don't really see it often from the club's point of view and the players," Ferdinand told the Mirror.
"I understand it's a business. But I think he looks at this as pure, 'I've got unfinished business at United. There's stuff I want to do here. Yes, I've been paid well here. The fans love me.' But I think he's in the game of wanting to give back after all he's received.
"So, I've got nothing but respect for him. I would have understood him leaving if he left, 100%. But the fact that he stayed and said there's stuff for me still to do here.
"I think it's a testament to him as a person, but also another reason why managers comfortably give him the armband.
"If I was him, I think I'd have found it difficult to say no (to Al Hilal). I've got to be honest."
Al-Hilal were ready to offer £100 million ($136m) for Fernandes, plus a weekly salary of about £700,000 ($950,000) to lure him to the Saudi Pro League.