P Diddy's odd meeting with Man Utd icon which sparked Alex Ferguson's angry 15-word reply

Back in 2006, when Alex Ferguson was getting his team ready for a Champions League match in Copenhagen, P Diddy made an unexpected appearance. The rapper was in town for the MTV European Music Awards, and it was Rio Ferdinand who reportedly set up the unusual meeting between the hip-hop star and the Manchester United team.

The Red Devils ended up losing to FC Copenhagen 1-0 in the group stages. Four years ago, Ferdinand shared a throwback snap of the encounter on social media, jokingly writing: "I always kept the boss up to speed with the R&B/Hip Hop scene. I know he always appreciated that!! Happy Birthday Boss. #Legend #Diddy."

However, in 2013, seven years after the Diddy rendezvous, Ferguson revealed in his autobiography that he had to tell Ferdinand to stop being so distracted by off-field interests. He even expressed his annoyance about Ferdinand's plans to interview P Diddy, responding with a terse 15-word reply: "Give me a break Rio, is he going to make you a better centre half?"

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Despite being a big fan of Ferdinand, whom he signed from Leeds United, Ferguson noted that "his life expanded in more directions than we were happy with" and warned that he would "not be with us much longer" if this continued.

Ferdinand quickly fell into line after agreeing with his agent to keep Fergie informed about his activities outside of football.

In 2007, it was reported that Ferdinand and P Diddy were planning a "peace gig" together to tackle gun and knife crime. P Diddy once remarked on the personal impact of gun violence, saying: "I've been touched by gun crime personally, I've lost friends and I want to get the point across that the violence has to stop.

"Ferdinand also expressed his concerns about knife crime, stating: "It's so important to me to get the message across that there is no point in carrying a knife."

Ferdinand was once asked what it was like interviewing 50 Cent and P Diddy and he replied: “I got the idea they were both more interested in business than hip-hop. These guys haven't got to where they are just with hit songs, a lot of what they do is calculated. ”

While Ferdinand has carved out a niche as a respected pundit for TNT Sports, P Diddy has found himself mired in controversy. He's currently detained at the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn , New York, following his arrest on charges of sex trafficking and racketeering nearly two weeks ago. A source from law enforcement disclosed to People on Sunday (29 September) that despite the circumstances, he remains "focussed and very strong" and is "concentrating on his defense and preparing for his trial", reports the Daily Star .

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