‘Why put petrol on the fire? - Rio Ferdinand questions Jadon Sancho over Manchester United fallout

Rio Ferdinand believes Jadon Sancho should have acted differently in the days after his public disagreement with Erik ten Hag.

Sancho has been exiled from training after refusing to apologise to Ten Hag over his statement, in which he claimed he was ‘scapegoated’ after his boss omitted him from the squad against Arsenal due to training levels. In the days afterwards, Sancho was photographed alongside Aaron Wan-Bissaka at the birthday party of NBA star John Wall. Ferdinand said this was not the right move and only cast more cloud over his situation.

Speaking on YouTube show FIVE, he said: “I don’t understand why Jadon would allow that picture to go anywhere. Or put himself in a position. You just don’t go out.

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“Why are you putting petrol on the fire? The fire is blazing right now and if you were to pick a picture to really antagonise and set that even more alight, that’s one of the first. I’m saying don’t even get on that flight. Don’t even get out of the country, get on the training pitch, get your studs in the grass.”

He later added: “Jadon is a shy guy. For him to come out the way he did on the offensive says to me there’s something else going on here that he felt he had the trust of the manager and that trust has been broken.”

Ten Hag sent Sancho on an individual training course in the Netherlands over the festive period last year to help him get back to peak physical and mental fitness. He returned to action for United the following February.

Ferdinand suggested Ten Hag’s post-match press conference comments against Arsenal were intentional, mooting that