Rio Relishing Busy Period

Rio Ferdinand is desperate to resume Barclays Premier League action when Wigan Athletic provide the opposition on Saturday.

The defender made his first appearance of the season in the dramatic 3-2 win at Southampton, heading against the woodwork in the build-up to Robin van Persie's second goal, and admits to growing impatient for the next match to come around.

If the 33-year-old is selected against Wigan, he will make his 400th appearance for the club after signing from Leeds United a decade ago.

"I have just said on Twitter that the break is too long," Ferdinand told ManUtd.com. "You really feel it when you’re not involved in international football. You’re just sitting and waiting around thinking: 'When is the next game coming?'

"When the games are coming week in and week out, with two or three matches a week, this is the time when you enjoy it the most."

When asked about the psychological value of overturning the Saints' lead to avoid stewing on a bad result, he replied: "I think things like that go through your mind, even during the game. I thought that myself. We can’t lose this game because it’s going to be a long two weeks’ wait until the next game.

"A fortnight where you go out of the house at times and see people and you don’t want that laying in the back of your mind waiting to see if someone will mention it or talk about it. So instead we needed to get a win here and can have a good two weeks’ break to prepare for the game against Wigan."

Unusually, the Reds have fallen behind in all three league games this term so the priority for the centre-back is shutting out the opposition and building from there.

"We pride ourselves on clean sheets as defenders and as a team and it’s up to us now to make sure that happens," he added. "It’s what we’re aiming for."