Manchester United will face Sevilla in Rio Ferdinand's testimonial on Friday at the Old Trafford.
"For as long as my body allows me to, I'll keep playing; and for as long as I can stay at Manchester United then I will stay there," Ferdinand told The Mirror in an exclusive interview. "I could see myself at a club for 10 years which wasn't as big and as prestigious as Manchester United. But to do it at Manchester United is just crazy to think about. I never believed it, I never even thought about it, if I'm honest."
He added, "I thought I would be at United for a couple of years, maybe three or four, and then go abroad somewhere. But I just fell in love with Manchester United. I fell in love with winning, fell in love with the history of the club and being part of it was something I could never have imagined...The pull of staying at Manchester United and being part of the success has probably got stronger as the years have gone by."
Ferdinand has been a member of United since 2002.
A number of his teammates will not be on hand for the big moment.
"David [De Gea] has staved his finger -- but he's okay. He could have played in Sweden and we hope he will be fit for Friday night and Sunday's Community Shield against Wigan at Wembley," said coach David Moyes. "Javier [Hernandez] has a bit of a hamstring problem that he picked up in training but we didn't want to risk him."
The big absentee will be Wayne Rooney who is still suffering from a shoulder injury.
"I don't think he [Rooney] will be fit for Friday [at the Old Trafford]," Moyes said. "There is still a chance, but I don't think he will be. It is not a serious injury, but the problem we've got with the Wembley game on Sunday is that he has not played so we need to take that into consideration.
"Is his fitness more of a concern than his future? Yes. We're trying to get Wayne into a condition where he is ready to play."
Prediction: Manchester manages a 2-0 win.
Start Time: 2:30 p.m. EST
TV: ESPN Deportes
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