Rio Ferdinand is happy to take a leadership role at Manchester United.

He appreciates his responsibilities as a senior player at United having seen some experienced figures - the likes of Dimitar Berbatov, Michael Owen and Ji-sung Park - leave the club this summer.

"I just think it's a natural progression for the senior players and it becomes your duty almost to not force it on the young players but to lead the way and lead by example," Ferdinand told manutd.com. "When you need to talk to players or give them a nudge in the right direction, you're there to do that. That's what comes with being a Manchester United player after a few years."