Ferdinand has become peripheral at Old Trafford and has increasingly suffered with injuries in recent years.
“He has been with us eight years now and has been fantastically consistent, top class.
“He is still one of the best footballers in the country in terms of using the ball, he can still tackle, he can still head and he still has a great presence.
“But what has changed for Rio is that he has lost that electric yard of pace that he had a few years ago and so he needs to rearrange his game a little bit.
“He is almost 33 and when you arrive in your 30s you have to tailor your game in a different way,” said Ferguson.
