Mark Goldbridge has lashed out at Manchester United icon Rio Ferdinand, telling him to “bore off” amid a heated online argument that erupted following the Red Devils’ 1-0 triumph over Chelsea.

Saturday night’s victory at Stamford Bridge saw United regain their footing, with Matheus Cunha’s first-half goal solidifying their lead over the Blues by 10 points. This win places them in a strong position to secure Champions League qualification for the next season.

In the aftermath, Rio Ferdinand turned to social media platform X to advocate for interim head coach Michael Carrick, asserting that he “has to get the job” at United. Ferdinand expressed frustration over the number of critics dismissing his former teammate’s potential for a permanent role at Old Trafford.

“Despite all he has achieved so far, there are far too many people saying, ‘yeah but I don’t think he should be the one because of this or that,’ without even offering a reason,” Ferdinand remarked.

He continued, “Every candidate you mention will have significant question marks over them, and Michael Carrick is no exception. I’m not claiming that if he gets the job, it will be perfect and effortless. However, he has certainly made a compelling case for himself, making it difficult for anyone to justifiably say, ‘he can’t get it.’

Mark Goldbridge (left) and Rio Ferdinand (right) got into a war of words on social media 

The spat was regarding whether Man United’s interim boss Michael Carrick should get the full-time job after the Red Devils’ win over Chelsea on Saturday

‘I’m not saying that he is going to go in there and if he gets the job, he is going to be perfect and 100 per cent easy. But he sure has put himself in a position that’s making it really difficult for anybody to go, “he can’t get it,” and justifiably say that.’

Goldbridge, a United-supporting content creator who has amassed 3.7million subscribers across two YouTube channels, seemed to take umbrage with Ferdinand’s remarks, and took to the comments section to aim a dig at the United legend.

‘Said nothing after Leeds. Bore off,’ Goldbridge wrote under Ferdinand’s video.

Ferdinand, who won 14 major trophies – including six Premier League titles and a Champions League – during a 12-year spell at Old Trafford, hit back at Goldbridge within two minutes of his reply.

The retired defender, who now resides in Dubai, wrote ‘Keep up Brent’, referencing Goldbridge’s real name, Brent Di Cesare, before adding a clip of himself critiquing United’s defeat to Leeds from earlier that week.

The spat between the pair came less than a week after Goldbridge’s YouTube channels The United Stand and That’s Football were acquired by Gary Neville’s media company The Overlap, which is majority-owned by radio and podcast giants Global.

The Overlap has paid an undisclosed seven-figure sum for the channels, which industry insiders believe to comfortably exceed £1m, as they seek to build ‘one of the most exciting football communities in the world’.

The deal will see Goldbridge continue to front both channels, while what is being described as ‘a significant expansion’ will follow.

The United Stand will be extended to include ‘Stick to United’, which will feature former players and journalists, and ‘The Daily United’, a daily United news strand. Other major clubs across Europe will also be targeted.

Neville, executive director of The Overlap, said: ‘We are building what we believe will become one of the most exciting independent football communities in the world – one that gives fans direct, personality-led content.

‘The United Stand and That’s Football are two of the best-known football channels on YouTube, and our intention is to develop them into the most compelling Manchester United and football news channels in the market.’

Goldbridge added: ‘I’ve spent the last 10 years building The United Stand for Manchester United fans and That’s Football for all fans, and I’m prouder of that than anything I’ve ever done. This deal is about what comes next.

‘The Overlap has the ambition, the credibility, and the resources to help me take what I do to the next level.’