The Manchester United dressing room has seen it’s share of interesting figures throughout the years, but what many people may not know is that it has also seen it’s share of aspiring DJs. From Rio Ferdinand, to Patrice Evra, to Ashley Young the amount of international experience that has graced the iPods of Old Trafford are second to none.

Rio Ferdinand:

“Music has always been important for me. At United I made it an important part of our pre-match ritual as well.”

Ashley Young:

“People dance about and get themselves prepared for the game. Music can be uplifting and motivate you.”

Patrice Evra:

“I enjoy the role very much. Before the match I sit down in my room and work out a playlist.”

Young:

“I officially took over when Patrice Evra left but I should have taken over sooner, some of his choices were a bit….!"

 

Even with the names that are in charge of the music, it doesn’t mean that the dressing room is always in agreement with what gets played.

Ferdinand:

“When I first started I liked really hard hip-hop but over the years I adapted the playlist to take account of the fact that different people had different musical tastes. There’d be older guys like the physios and Albert, the kit man, who didn’t like hip hop.”

 

When Patrice Evra was in charge of the tunes, a bit of stick was started between the French international and some England teammates.

Danny Welbeck:

“Pat’s got some good tunes but recently…he’s mellowed down a bit…”

Young:

“He was showing his age…the tunes have slowed down and they’re not really the beat we need before we go out to the game!”

Welbeck:

“His playlist might be too big!”

Evra:

“They apologised. I gave them my evil look and they said, 'No, Pat. We'd never say that about you'. Ashley and Danny could put their iPods on the dressing room speakers but I think they would be thrown away straightaway!”

 

Interestingly enough after Evra left and Young took over he received his own revolt.

Young:

“There’s a bit of conflict between myself and David De Gea, he’s just got some crazy taste in music. It’s either dancing and Spanish stuff or it’s heavy metal, loud shouting and banging, just crazy to be honest.”

 

All of the DJs of United have had to make sure that they keep their playlists varied so as to include something for everyone.

Ferdinand:

“Of course, you’d get the odd person saying: ‘this song is rubbish! Get it off!’ so I’d move on to the next one!”

Young:

“In the dressing room you can play anything. With any type of music, you’ll always have some people that like it, some people that don’t like it, some people that try and turn it off.”

Evra:

“I have to change it every time. You don’t know these guys – they’re like dogs! They’re hungry for new songs and get angry if it’s the same stuff as the last game.”

Ferdinand:

“I created a mix of different genres for all tastes, from ‘Fast Car’ by Tracy Chapman, or Stone Roses’s ‘Fools Gold’, which is my favourite song by the Manchester band, to more current stuff by people like Jay-Z and Drake.”

Evra:

“I mix it up and make sure everybody's happy. I put some English music, some Brazilian, some R 'n B, some dance.”

Young:

“I've tried to listen to a variety of things to try and please everyone with my choices, but my favourite types are hip-hop, RnB, house and reggae.”

Evra:

“I don’t just pick my music, I pick music that everyone will like. If Danny [Welbeck] only loves hip hop music, that is his problem. I play lots of different types of music – that’s the sign of a good DJ! Ask Giggsy, he will tell you.”

 

With as much autonomy as the players were granted, it is ultimately the manager that is in charge of the dressing room and the imposing figures of Sir Alex Ferguson and Louis van Gaal each had their own preferences.

Ferdinand:

“Fergie was always good-naturedly complaining: ‘This isn’t real music! Haven’t you got any Sinatra?’”

Young:

“[Louis van Gaal] when he first came in, shouted [Darren] Fletcher over and said ‘I don’t like this’. So we had to change it! I’ve been told by the manager I can only play funky house or house music. Seriously that’s what he likes. That’s what’s on the playlist.”

Ferdinand:

“[Fergie] was brilliant about it. His attitude was that if music was good for the team he was happy.”

 

No matter who controlled the music, or what was being played, everyone agreed on the importance that music has in the dressing room.

Evra:

“It's part of the ritual before games.”

Ferdinand:

“At United I made it an important part of our pre-match ritual as well…The music would be on in the background, making everyone feel good, relaxing us.”

Evra:

“I put on really good songs, which is why we won the championship. My songs are magical. Every time another player tried to put on his music, everyone would boo him!”

All quotes taken from interviews with the players and Rio Ferdinand’s autobiography.