Rio Ferdinand urges INEOS to recall one former Manchester United star who left last summer due to Ruben Amorim

Rio Ferdinand has delivered one of his strongest assessments yet of Manchester United’s current situation, urging INEOS to make a difficult but decisive call if the club truly wants to return to the Champions League next season.

Speaking with clear urgency, the former United defender suggested that, in practical terms, the Ruben Amorim project is already finished. According to Ferdinand, the club’s best — and perhaps only — chance of rescuing their campaign lies in reversing course on Marcus Rashford.

Ferdinand was blunt in his assessment, arguing that INEOS must put ego aside and undo the decision that led to Rashford’s exit last summer following the collapse of his relationship with Amorim. In his view, United are desperately lacking qualities that Rashford naturally brings to the team.

He painted a grim picture of a side stripped of fear factor, drive, and personality, insisting that United no longer intimidate opponents in the way they once did. For Ferdinand, Rashford embodies exactly what is missing — pace, strength, confidence, and the ability to change games in an instant.

Taking his argument even further, Ferdinand claimed that Rashford stands alone as the player capable of pulling United out of their current decline. He dismissed the idea that rigid systems alone can solve football problems, stressing that elite teams still depend on individuals who can decide matches on their own. In his eyes, United lost that edge the moment Rashford walked away.

Rashford’s departure remains one of the most divisive moments in recent club history. Once viewed as the heartbeat of the team and a symbol of its future, the academy graduate’s sudden exit shocked supporters. At the time, it was presented as a show of authority from Amorim — proof that no individual would be placed above the structure.

Ferdinand now believes that decision has aged badly. He pointed to United’s ongoing struggles to create chances, inspire belief, and cope when momentum turns against them, arguing that these flaws are magnified every week Rashford is absent. In difficult moments, Ferdinand said, Rashford was the one who demanded the ball, attacked defenders, and produced goals from nothing. That sense of responsibility, he argued, has vanished.

His message to INEOS was unmistakably direct. This was not framed as advice but as a warning. Ferdinand insisted that football success is about results, not stubbornly defending past choices, and that refusing to revisit the Rashford decision could have severe consequences. Another season without Champions League football, he cautioned, would be hugely damaging — and entirely avoidable.

Those comments have struck a chord with large sections of the fanbase. Many supporters never accepted Rashford’s exit, and Ferdinand’s intervention has reignited calls for his return. Online reactions have been fierce, with fans arguing that Rashford represented far more than goals — he symbolised identity, belief, and a connection to the club’s values.

While the practical challenges of bringing Rashford back remain unclear, Ferdinand brushed aside any concerns over logistics, contracts, or pride. For him, ambition should override everything else. If Champions League football is truly the target, he argued, United must be prepared to do whatever it takes.

Perhaps the most damning aspect of Ferdinand’s comments was what they implied about Amorim’s tenure. By declaring that the era is effectively over, he suggested that the project has already failed in spirit, even if not yet officially. In his view, the focus should no longer be on long-term theories but on salvaging what remains of the season.

INEOS have stayed silent in response, but the pressure continues to build. With results faltering and frustration growing, the idea of recalling Marcus Rashford — once unthinkable — is now firmly part of the conversation.

Whether the club chooses pride or pragmatism could shape Manchester United’s immediate future. One thing is certain: the Rashford debate is far from finished.