Rio Ferdinand Opens Up About 'Gifted' Man Utd Flop & Offers Solution to Chelsea Striker Hunt

Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has claimed that Ravel Morrison was the "most naturally gifted young player" he ever saw during his time at Old Trafford.

Ferdinand also said that Sir Alex Ferguson would sing the praises of the 24-year-old playmaker, claiming that at the same stage in their career Morrison was better than Wayne Rooney and Ryan Giggs.

"[Morrison was] probably the most naturally gifted young player I've ever seen," Ferdinand claimed on BT Sport.

"Sir Alex Ferguson pulled me and [Rooney] over one day and said look at this kid. He's better than Wayne as a kid, he's better than Rio, better than Ryan Giggs when he was a kid. This is the best kid you'll ever see.

"Talent only gets you so far. Talent gets you here," Ferdinand continued, gesturing with his hand. "To get beyond that and stay at the top you need hard work.

"Every next thought is about being a professional footballer. Living it, breathing it. You need to be obsessed with it."

Morrison is currently plying his trade on a short-term basis with Atlas Guadalajara in the Liga MX after his parent club, Lazio, decided that they wanted the midfielder to get game time. 

The former England U21 international made just three appearances for Manchester United's senior team despite rising through their youth ranks alongside Jesse Lingard and Paul Pogba.

Ferdinand also spoke about Chelsea's search for a new striker in the January transfer window, claiming that the Blues have overlooked recalling Swansea loanee, Tammy Abraham.

"Chelsea have Tammy Abraham in their ranks who is a tall, rangy player," the 39-year-old said amidst rumours that Chelsea have shortlisted Andy Carroll and Peter Crouch as transfer targets.

"You'd have him as a target man, he fits the bill, so why isn't he being brought back from loan?"