Venables wants Rio

New Leeds boss wants star defender to stay

Terry Venables: "I haven't spoken to Rio but I'm confident about him." AP

LEEDS, England (Reuters) -- New Leeds United manager Terry Venables says he is confident of holding on to England central defender Rio Ferdinand.

The former England coach, who was appointed Monday after David O'Leary's sacking last month, also told his first news conference at Elland Road on Wednesday that he was excited about the huge potential of the club.

But he stopped short of predicting a groaning trophy cabinet and said he would have to earn 15 million pounds (US$23.3 million) from player sales before the start of the new season.

Asked about his chances of keeping Ferdinand, Venables, who has signed a two-year contract, said: "I'm confident, very confident."

As for Leeds in general, he said: "I've made a point of never saying never and this was too much to resist.

"I can't promise this trophy or that but I can promise hard work and that we will try to play the game the right way. It will be for others to judge if it has been a success."

Venables said that Leeds chairman Peter Ridsdale phoned him at his home in Spain on Friday night, flew over to discuss the matter over lunch, and settled the issue by the afternoon.

"It's been quite amazing really," Venables said of the whirlwind romance.

"I grabbed the chance with both hands."

Prize asset

Venables accepted the post fully aware that the club needs to raise money but said he hoped prize asset Ferdinand would not be among those leaving Elland Road.

"I took the job knowing we can't keep everybody but still feel we have a very, very strong squad," he said.

"I haven't spoken to Rio but I'm confident about him. Where we can reach him is that he loves to play football, you can see that in the way he plays."

The England center back had been widely tipped for a move to Manchester United but the arrival of Venables is likely to scupper that plan.

When he was in charge of England at the 1996 European championships Venables invited Ferdinand, then 17, to train with the national team and the former West Ham United man has not forgotten the gesture.

"Terry Venables was brilliant to me and I'm looking forward to meeting him and hearing his plans," Ferdinand told Wednesday's Sun newspaper.

Lee Bowyer might prove a tougher nut to crack, as the midfielder has only a year remaining on his contract and is in talks with Liverpool about a possible transfer.

But Venables was concentrating on the positives Wednesday as he looked ahead.

"I don't think I've ever been at a club, even Barcelona, that has such a wealth of talent up front," he said of the strike force that includes Alan Smith, Robbie Keane and Mark Viduka.

"It's a huge club, it has been for many, many years but in recent years it has become more and more exciting and the plans are as big here as anywhere else I've been.

"The Premier League is getting harder and harder but only one or two teams can be at the top and we want to be one of them."

Venables, whose last involvement as a manager was a short-term "fireman" appointment at Middlesbrough last season, said he hoped to be at Leeds for several years.

Long relationship

"We agreed a two year contract but I hope to prove I'm worthwhile doing this job longer," he said, adding his thanks to ITV for releasing him from his TV pundit's contract.

Ridsdale too said he foresaw a long relationship and was clearly delighted with his new acquisition.

"I haven't seen so many positive column inches about this club for a considerable time," he said.

"We have got the man who is going to take Leeds United forward."

Ridsdale, who has promised Venables funds for signings once some players have been sold, said that he had no doubt the club had made the right choice.

"We spent a lot of time asking the people in football that matter and almost to a person - players, ex-players, coaches and others -- they all said 'Venables.'

"The number of people who respect Terry speaks volumes and once I talked to him and saw his enthusiasm I quickly realized that he was the right man."

 

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