Rio Ferdinand and Frank Lampard were two of the most successful English footballers of their generation, coming through the ranks together at West Ham United in the late 1990s. The pair went on to have glittering careers at the highest level, winning multiple trophies and individual awards.
However, despite their close friendship at West Ham, the two have not spoken in years. In a recent interview, Rio Ferdinand revealed why he and Lampard stopped talking.
Ferdinand said that the two had a falling out over a disagreement about a charity match. Lampard had asked Ferdinand to play in a charity match in aid of a cancer charity, but Ferdinand had already committed to playing in another charity match.
Ferdinand said that Lampard was angry with him for not taking part in the match and the two had a heated argument. Ferdinand said that he felt Lampard was trying to pressure him into playing in the match and that he felt disrespected.
The two have not spoken since then and Ferdinand said that he has no intention of ever speaking to Lampard again. He said that he still respects Lampard as a footballer, but that he has no desire to ever speak to him again.
The two have gone their separate ways since then, with Lampard becoming a successful manager at Chelsea and Ferdinand becoming a successful pundit and media personality.
Despite their falling out, Ferdinand said that he still looks back fondly on their time together at West Ham and that he will always remember the good times they shared. He said that he wishes Lampard all the best in his career and hopes that he will continue to have success.
It is a sad end to what was once a close friendship, but it is clear that Ferdinand and Lampard have both moved on and are now focused on their own careers.