Rio Ferdinand has admitted he felt he was at a nearly club in Leeds United and took the decision to leave for Manchester United to win trophies.
The former centre-back was snapped up by Leeds in the November of 2000 from West Ham United, with the Whites forking out an eye-catching £18m to take him to Elland Road.
He quickly began to show his quality at Elland Road and took the captain's armband, while his displays at the World Cup in 2002 for England tempted Manchester United to make a move for his services.
Despite the rivalry between the two clubs, a cash-strapped Leeds opted to sell and banked close to £30m for Ferdinand.
He won six Premier League titles, two League Cups and one Champions League during his time at Old Trafford, and Ferdinand insists trophies were the driving force behind his move.
While assessing Harry Kane's situation at Tottenham and whether he should move on in search of trophies, Ferdinand admitted that he had little faith Leeds could regularly pick up silverware, accepting the label of a nearly team for the Whites.
He said on BT Sport: "Leeds is a very similar example [with where Kane is at Tottenham and] as to where I was; probably I was a year or two younger.
"I was in a team [that reached] a Champions League semi-final, nearly team to win a league maybe, potentially.
"Exactly [I thought I was at a nearly club] and I thought I've got a better chance elsewhere, and I had the opportunity to go.
"That was Manchester United and I made a very quick decision that I want to go and win trophies, because my career will be based, in my own mind, on winning trophies."
Leeds' struggles following Ferdinand's exit eventually saw the club relegated at the end of the 2003/04 season and they have yet to return to the Premier League.
