- Rio Ferdinand played alongside former defender Brown at Man United for nine years
- Ferdinand, 46, remembered his favorite stories from the Christmas party while he was a player.
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Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has reflected on when Wes Brown had to be pulled from a Christmas party during his time at the Red Devils after upsetting Roy Keane.
As is tradition in most UK companies, football clubs organize Christmas parties for their players before the big day.
With players having to endure strict diets to enable peak levels of performance in elite football, the festive social event is an opportunity to let off some steam.
And when speaking on his own podcast Rio Ferdinand Presents, the former United centre-back recalled when a drunken Brown almost crossed the line with then-club captain Keane.
“Wes Brown was taken at midnight, or just before midnight,” Ferdinand said. 'We were at a Christmas party all day and they took him out. I will never forget it.
'Wes was a fun drinker. I remember Roy Keane stopped drinking and we were somewhere in Manchester and Wes kept trying to give Roy a drink.
Wes Brown (left) once got drunk at a Christmas party and angered Roy Keane (center)
Ferdinand recalled that Brown was a “funny drinker” as he reminisced about things to do at Christmas.
'You know, Roy, he said, “one more and I'll run it through your head in a minute,” that kind of thing. Wes had to be told to get out of the way. “That's the problem with footballers and alcohol, it always goes wrong.”
Keane has also told his share of Christmas party stories. Speaking to Stick to Football, presented by Sky Bet, last year, he recalled a time when he wasn't even allowed to go to United's big event.
“One year I was banned from the Christmas party,” Keane explained. “I must have been injured, and the reserve team were going out at night and I went out with them and I think there was a bit of annoyance in Manchester.
“The first team boys were going out a couple of days later and Sir Alex Ferguson came in, in front of everyone, and said that if anyone was seen drinking with me that day they would be fined.
“The players were worried the coach would fine them, so I ended up going out alone; I had a Christmas party alone.”
While the holidays may be enjoyable for many players, the physical demands of the Premier League prevent some from letting themselves go.
The festive period is known for its busy schedule, with teams playing regularly until the new year.
And Owen Hargreaves, while with Ferdinand, explained that how much a player drank at the Christmas party depended on how regularly they were selected.
“Most kids can't drink because there's a game every three days,” Hargreaves said.
“No disrespect, but if you play one game a week in the Premier League, you have two or three days where you can go crazy.”
