Rio Ferdinand names seven leaders in Manchester United team

Rio Ferdinand has praised Erik ten Hag for instilling a culture change inside Manchester United with the squad now full of leaders.

The Dutchman has overseen a seismic change of fortunes in Manchester, with United on course for a Champions League finish and preparing for a first chance at silverware in Sunday's Carabao Cup final clash with Newcastle. The Reds have so far gone unbeaten in what was tipped as a season-defining February, with the trip to Wembley and Thursday's Europa League second-leg against Barcelona the pick of the bunch.

Results on the pitch have stemmed from the work in training and a culture change brought about by Ten Hag. The Dutchman has made some ruthless decisions since arriving last summer, and the improvement in form has justified decisions and embedded trust and positivity in the squad.

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"The vibes at Carrington and Old Trafford have changed dramatically," Ferdinand told FIVE. "When you walk in there, I’ve had very very negative vibes over the years, it's been quite negative when I've walked through the corridors and I walked through there today and, you know when you've got a little smile, I was on my own walking back out and I stood there and smiled a little bit.

"I can sense something happening now, I don’t know what it is and what it is going to get to but the ambience is very different, the confidence throughout the place. The confidence isn't about the players alone, it's the staff. I can sense with the staff that they’re confident, happy to be at work every day, and that's all been generated by Erik ten Hag and his team.

"It's not one person that is able to change a whole culture, it's a group, it's a collective approach. They are