Ferdinand: Expensive cover (RossKinnaird/Allsport)

Despite paying a British transfer record £18 million to West Ham for Ferdinand, Ridsdale said the England international was a back-up in case Woodgate was sent to prison.

Ferdinand has just left Leeds for another British transfer record, £30 million, which Ridsdale describes as a 'healthy profit' on a player who, despite being appointed Leeds captain, he suggest was not a first choice anyway.

However, Ridsdale is `relaxed' about Leeds' strength at the back, and said: `We only actually bought Rio in the first place because Jonathan Woodgate's position was uncertain due to his involvement in what turned out to be two trials.

`People say we have sold out best player but you have to take a view on whether that is actually the case or not.

`You could argue what we have done is cover for Woodgate for 18 months incase he was not around.

`Now we have got him back and we have made a healthy profit on a player we only bought as profit in the first place,' he told the Daily Mirror.

Ridsdale believes Ferdinand was publicly giving the impression he was happy to stay at Leeds, while plotting his move to Manchester United.

`I saw Rio when he came back from the World Cup,'' added Ridsdale. ``It was on the Monday before he went off on holiday and he told me he wanted to leave the club.
`That, by the way, was on the very same day he put his name to an article in a national newspaper saying he wanted to stay.