With the rise of punditry in recent years, Ferdinand has followed in the footsteps of many other former players, including former United teammates Roy Keane and Gary Neville.

The former centre-back is a regular on BT Sport, and he also has a YouTube show called Vibe with Five, which he hosts.

Given his ties to Manchester United and the club's recent struggles, Ferdinand has developed a reputation for being harsh in his criticism, particularly of United players.

A story in The Sun claims that a lot of current England internationals believe Ferdinand has been 'too harsh' in his criticism of them.

They are said to have no problem with criticism from players like as Keane and Neville, but believe that Ferdinand goes far on a daily basis.

I think they all just want to be friends from the outside.

"No one wants to knock someone's nose out of joint," says the author. " Everyone seems to be working at an office in the city, as if they were all employed. Their behavior is pleasant, but they aren't very fond of one another, which they will not admit to one another.

In order to win, you have to be dragging people around and telling them they're crap and that they need to get a grip on themselves. You don't have to be overly forceful... It is possible to have a straightforward talk. Please inform me that they are (doing that).

"I don't see anything in response. Their body language is terrible; they walk around with their shoulders sunk, as if the world is against them, and they appear to be sad.

In a derby, you're representing Manchester United, and do you realize how much those supporters in that stadium would give to be on that pitch? And you're going around thinking, 'I could be doing greater things on a Sunday.'"

It is unclear who the so-called 'unhappy' England players are, but given the recent criticism leveled at Manchester United, it would not be surprising if they were among them.