CWC Win Will Help The 'Real Manchester United' To Emerge - Rio Ferdinand

Rio Ferdinand captained Manchester United as they officially established themselves as the best club side in the world in Japan.

The Red Devils were well recieved by the Japanese public and did enough to beat Gamba Osaka and LDU Quito before lifting the trophy aloft.

However, the wily England international centre-back knows that Friday's Boxing Day visit to the Britannia Stadium to take on a Stoke City side desperate for points is a potential banana skin - one which could send United flying off their pedestal.

Thus, he wants to take heart from being on top of the world and start to build domestic momentum.

He told the club's official website: "Our victory over Liga de Quito was fully deserved and being a world champion is a great feeling.

"Not many teams in the world have ever got their hands on a trophy like this and to be the first British side to do it is phenomenal.

"As players, your aim is to go out and try and ingrain your name in the club’s history, so this is a step in the right direction.

"We arrive home on Monday evening and immediately our focus switches to the trip to Stoke.

"We’ve been disappointed in ourselves over the last couple of months, in terms of the way we’ve played and the results we’ve got in the league.

"The Club World Cup was very important in terms of confidence and now you'll see the real Manchester United."

Greg Ptolomey, Goal.com