Rio claims were nonsense, insists Vidic

Nemanja Vidic has described claims earlier this season that central defensive partner Rio Ferdinand was finished as a top-flight force as "nonsense".

With a troublesome back problem restricting appearances for the previous three seasons, his England place taken away by Fabio Capello and a renewed threat at Manchester United following the arrival of Phil Jones, it was thought this season could be 33-year-old Ferdinand's last at Old Trafford.

However, Vidic is confident those assessments will prove to be incorrect, and said: "He is a very important player, not just this year but over the past years and he has done very well over the last few months."

Copyright (c) PA Sport 2012, All Rights Reserved.