Q&A: Rio delight at World XI award

After collecting his award for being named in the FIFPro World XI, Rio Ferdinand spoke of his pleasure at gaining recognition for his work – but he says that he'd be far from satisfied to settle for his current collection of collective and personal awards…

How does it feel to be named in the FIFPro World XI?
Being appreciated and recognised by your fellow professionals is probably the best accolade you can receive. They are the people you play with. They know the game inside out. Without my team-mates I wouldn't have won this award. Obviously, we had a great season last season. I needed the help of my team-mates to get where I am. Without them I would not be where I am now. I'd say the best is still to come. A lot of my former team-mates like Iain Dowie, Slaven Bilic, Ian Wright and managers like Harry Redknapp, David O'Leary and Sir Alex Ferguson have said my best years would be after I was 30 because of the position I play in. I am beginning to feel that way.

Based on what you’ve won so far, could you look back on your career and be pleased with what you’ve achieved?

I won't be looking back yet. But if I get to the end of my career and have only won the trophies I currently have, I would be disappointed. I want to win more. I am greedy. You have to be in this sport to try and achieve anything. I want to win more. I would not be happy to just have this.

You’ve been such a consistent performer in recent seasons, what has been the key to it for you?
As a centre-half it is about being in situations you recognise yourself in. You play in so many big games all over the world over so many years. It builds experience you can lean on at times. In my position, experience counts for so much. As an attacker, your better years are a little earlier, maybe 26 or 27, because the position is so explosive. Knowledge is key for me.

Does it frustrate you that the forwards and attackers tend to get all the awards?
Everyone wants to be a striker. It is the most glorified position in the game. I just love to see people score goals. As defenders we know our worth. We don't need to shout it from the roof tops. It is part of the game. We have no gripes with the people who score goals getting the adulation. It is the hardest part of the game.

Ronaldo was named FIFPro World Player of the Year, what do you think to his achievement?
He has done well. He wants to learn and be the best in whatever he does, even in table tennis against me! You need that. All the top players have a winning mentality. They want to do well all the time, even in training. Last season and the season before he was faultless. He had an end product and was doing things other people cannot do. We have won back-to-back Premier League titles and the European Cup. He played a big part in that.

Last season’s successes were incredible; what are the chances of achieving that again?
It is realistic to think we could do it again. We have fantastic players. We have added Dimitar to the squad, who is a fantastic player. We have a very talented squad if everyone stays fit. The Champions League is something we would really like to retain and make history. The gauntlet is laid down for us to do it because it has never been done. Winning the Premier League three times on the bounce, no-one has done better than that. The incentives are there. We could make history. It will be hard but that is what being at a club like Manchester United is about. We want to win.

Rio was speaking to PA Sport and ManUtd.com.