Rio Ferdinand has been branded a "disgrace" after a "body-shaming" spat with a Manchester United content creator.
The Old Trafford legend told male influencer Saiyan TV to "sort yourself out" after the fan demanded he criticize the club's ownership.
The jibe has now become a PR disaster for the 47-year-old former player, who is being slammed by fans in his social media comments section, though some are also coming to his defense.
Ferdinand posted a photo of himself with Michael Carrick, quoting the manager: "It's not about me. Manchester United is bigger than any individual, bigger than me, bigger than any player and anyone who works at the club."
It's unclear why he shared this, but it may have been in response to comments from Lisandro Martínez. This week, Martínez slammed the club's hierarchy in a fiery interview, calling the squad too weak.
However, Saiyan TV was unhappy with Ferdinand's recent silence regarding Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the Glazer family, writing: "Stop talking rubbish and call out the owners!"
To be fair, while Ferdinand is not as outspoken as Gary Neville, he has criticized the club's ownership on individual occasions in the past.
He then retorted: "Stop talking rubbish, sort yourself out, you're out of breath typing!"
Saiyan then posted a video response, saying in part: "You're a grown man, and that's the response you're giving on social media?
"There are kids who look up to you. You're a role model to many people around the world, and you're acting like this in front of everyone. It's a disgrace.
"You have a lot of people who respect you. How can anyone respect you when you talk like that on social media?
"It doesn't affect me because I've been through a lot on social media. Most importantly, I've even faced racism, so I'm very resilient.
"I was asking you to be accountable for your words, and you chose to respond like that. That says everything about you."
He believes Ferdinand is staying silent about Manchester United's hierarchy to maintain his access to the club.
The former England defender's jibe was not well received on social media, with some fans directly condemning him.
One fan wrote on social media: "Rio Ferdinand is an absolute disgrace. Imagine being so deluded that you can only respond with such nonsense."
Another said: "This is outrageous. Rio's personal attack was very low and completely unnecessary."
Someone else commented: "Rio handled this poorly."
However, others believe Ferdinand was simply sharing positive content, and Saiyan had no need to deliberately provoke him.
One person said: "He told a club legend to stop talking rubbish. Rio isn't his friend. Respect is earned first, not demanded."
Another wrote: "I can't stand Rio either, but if you're going to tell a grown man 'stop talking rubbish,' he has every right to snap back at you."
Someone else commented: "He was disrespectful first, so he got it back."
Another said: "So Saiyan can keep provoking Rio, but Rio can't talk back?"
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