Gill reveals mistake Man U made in Ferdinand 8-month ban for missing drugs test

David Gill has revealed the one mistake Manchester United made when fighting Rio Ferdinand's ban for a missed drugs test.

Back in 2003, the United defender found himself at the heart of an event that shocked the footballing world and also nearly lead to a mutiny from his England team-mates.

The former Leeds and West Ham star had failed to provide a drugs sample following a training session on September 23. Ferdinand, who was 25-years-old at the time, had stated that he had forgotten to take the test and had provided a clear sample two days later.

Ferdinand was dropped from Sven-Goran Eriksson's squad to take on Turkey in their Euro 2004 qualifier in Istanbul, in which they needed a point to gain a berth in the finals of the competition.

Despite his and the club's best attempts to fight the decision, he was charged in October of that year by the Football Association for breaching of rule E26 for 'the failure or refusal by a player to submit to drug testing', before being handed an eight-month ban from football and a £50,000 fine.

United were incensed by the decision to ban him, with Gill previously claiming Ferdinand was a 'scapegoat'. Ferdinand would begin his ban on January 20, 2004, and would lose an appeal in March of that year.

He wouldn't play again until September 2004, when Man United beat Liverpool 2-1 at Old Trafford.

But former United chief executive Gill reflected on the situation with the ex-England defender on his podcast 'Rio Ferdinand Presents FIVE' and revealed the one thing he'd have done differently.

'That was a kind of baptism of fire, because that was 2003 and I had just came in and taken over and he'd given me this hospital pass. Thanks Rio,' Gill, who was appointed as the club's CEO in 2003, said.

'Just a