Former Manchester United defender Gary Pallister has said that Rio Ferdinand must accept a reduced role at the club or else leave.

Pallister, who was phased out of Sir Alex Ferguson's side in the late 1990s before returning to Middlesbrough, has warned the England international that he must understand he is no longer an automatic starter at the club.

"Rio's not finished by any stretch of the imagination," said Pallister. "He is still a fantastic player.

"Like Scholesy and Giggsy, he can be an important player for years at the club if he accepts he can't play every week. If he can't accept that, he'll have to move on.

"It's a similar situation to mine in that, despite winning nearly everything in nine years, the manager realises he has to rebuild. It's another part of his great man-management."

Ferdinand arrived at Old Trafford in 2002 for a then record-breaking fee of close to £30m.