Rio Ferdinand gives verdict on Manchester United prospects Zidane Iqbal and Charlie Savage

Rio Ferdinand believes youngsters Charlie Savage and Zidane Iqbal have given Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag "food for thought" following their performances in Friday's 4-1 win over Melbourne Victory.

Just as they did against Liverpool in Bangkok on Tuesday, the duo stepped off the bench at half-time, with Ten Hag making the decision to make ten changes at the break. They slotted into a midfield three, with Donny van de Beek operating just ahead of them.

While Savage kept things neat and tidy with a wide range of excellent passes, Iqbal was a little more adventurous, catching the eye with his driving runs and one sublime piece of skill that brought a few cheers from the crowd. They both looked at home in their roles and did not appear fazed by playing alongside several big-name stars.

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And the duo, who both made their senior debuts for United in a 1-1 draw with Young Boys in the Champions League last December, caught Ferdinand's eye.

"I've watched the last two pre-season friendlies and the young lads in midfield there – Charlie Savage has been excellent, Zidane's been very good as well," Ferdinand told Vibe with Five. "So I think it's good food for thought. It's always that way in pre-season, you get a couple of players who come out of nowhere and you go, 'I didn't expect that from them'. I remember Jesse Lingard all those years ago when David Moyes came and I remember Moyes saying: 'Rio, I didn't realise Jesse Lingard was that good'.

"[Wilfried] Zaha was brilliant in pre-season, it didn't quite work out for him in the long run (at United) but you can get your opportunity in pre-season and fly. I'm excited about some of the young players getting