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Ex-Manchester United star Rio Ferdinand has told how Sir Alex Ferguson warned him about his partying and drinking habits shortly after joining the club.

Ferdinand, who became Britain’s most expensive footballer when he joined the Red Devils from Leeds in July 2002 for just over £30 million, has developed into one of United’s leading centre-backs. The 46-year-old recently discussed adapting to the strict professional ethos at Old Trafford on his podcast: Rio Ferdinand presents.

The former England star confessed that his love of partying emerged during his early career at West Ham. However, a wake-up call came quickly after signing for Sir Alex. He was then forced to balance his social life and professional commitments, based on the legendary manager’s behavioral advice.

In a conversation with Ste Howson and Joel Beya on the podcast, the name of Dennis Rodman came up, the famous Chicago Bulls basketball player known for his party lifestyle yet important role in his team’s triumphs. When Howson wondered who would embody that character during Ferdinand’s tenure at United, the ex-Leeds player admitted it would be him, reports the Manchester Evening News.

“At one point it was me (as the ‘Dennis Rodman of the team’) like I loved it (going on a night out). I loved it,” Ferdinand said. “You’ve got to remember that when I was at West Ham, it was probably the worst environment to grow up in, it was ‘win or lose, drink, if you sign, have some more’.

“The team bus on the way home looked like a pub, it was incredible, so everyone was drinking, smoking and me and Frank Lampard always looked back thinking ‘one day we’ll be there again with those boys’ and then I go to Leeds and the professionalism jumps up, but we went out anyway.

“It was okay because there wasn’t a game for 48 hours or more, so we went out at the ‘right’ times, but we went out and had good, solid whole days. Anyway, then I signed for United and, I know from my time with England the United lads liked a drink, but they were really conditioned and professional at the right times, not crazy, like four times a week.

“So I get there and when I first signed I got injured in a pre-season game before the season started and I was out for six weeks. I went out every night, I wanted to see what the atmosphere was like, what the atmosphere.” But the manager found out and stopped me with one comment: ‘Do you want to stay here? You better watch what you do’.

“I’d been going out four times a week for six weeks, right, and people in the restaurants knew my name. In the bars they knew me and I was getting tables, this and the other, it really immersed me in the culture of Manchester as you should do when you go to a new club.

“And that’s when I realized I wanted to be successful because I’m halfway into training when training starts to think.”Gary Neville doesn’t go out, Scholesy (Paul Scholes) doesn’t go out, Roy’s (Roy Keane) don’t go out, Ruud van Nistelrooy doesn’t go out’ and the sessions are sharp man, every day I had to rein that in and become much more professional, fit in with the boys, and then my game got better and I grew into a better player.”

The centre-back’s transformation paid off. Ferdinand won an impressive number of trophies, including six Premier League titles, two League Cups and the Champions League with United before leaving for Queens Park Rangers in 2014.