Rio Ferdinand has lifted the lid on Wayne Rooney’s temper tantrums, telling how his former Manchester United team-mate used to 'smash up mobile phones in frustration'.

Ferdinand and Rooney played alongside each other for 10 years at Old Trafford until the former left the club during the summer.

And the QPR defender has shed new light on the current United captain's temper - although he admitted the England striker has now calmed down.

Wayne Rooney had a temper in his younger days, reveals former team-mate Rio Ferdinand

The United striker used to 'fly into a rage about the smallest things,' says Ferdinand

Ferdinand acknowledges Rooney has calmed down a bit - although he's still prone to the odd outburst

Possibly Rooney's most famous outburst, against West Ham in 2011 when he swore into a camera

Ferdinand says Rooney would often be arguing on his phone outside the United training ground

In The Sun’s serialisation of his autobiography #2sides, Ferdinand said: ‘Wayne Rooney always struck me as a very angry young man, always arguing with people outside the training ground, especially on the phone.

‘He seemed to fly into a rage about the smallest things and went through mobile phones like they were sweets. He’d smash phones up in frustration, throwing them on the concrete.

‘I don’t know what happened but he did calm down.’

Ferdinand says Rooney (right) struck him as an angry young man, always arguing with people

Ferdinand writes in his autobiography, #2sides, that Rooney went through phones 'like they were sweets'