Rio Ferdinand admitted feeling embarrassed to his Manchester United team-mates after a Lionel Messi-inspired Barcelona won the Champions League in 2011.

The Catalan giants downed United at Wembley to once again clinch the coveted European trophy, with Messi unsurprisingly on target in London.

And former United defender Ferdinand, who was unable to prevent Messi from running riot in a similar vein to the 2009 final, revealed that he was left red-faced after the defeat.

Rio Ferdinand admitted feeling embarrassed after being humiliated by Lionel Messi in 2011

Barcelona beat Manchester United to win the Champions League in 2011 with Messi on target

Pedro opened the scoring on 27 minutes with a simple finish, before Wayne Rooney levelled the scores for Sir Alex Ferguson's men.

But further strikes from Messi, a thumping effort from the edge of the penalty area, and David Villa consigned United to runners-up medals once again and added yet more silverware to a glittering period for the current La Liga holders.

Ferdinand shed light on a conversation with fellow United legends Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes, in which the defender admitted his dejection.

'Barca gave us an absolute lesson at Wembley,' Ferdinand told Copa90.

Ferdinand revealed he was left red-faced in a conversation with Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes

'I was standing there watching them lift the trophy and me, Giggsy and Scholesy were standing together with our hands over our mouths and I said: "I feel embarrassed lads".

'He [Messi] took liberties.'

Ferdinand paid further tribute to Barcelona magician Messi and believes that, despite also name-checking Ronaldinho, the 32-year-old may be the finest player he has faced.

'Messi was a killer. Ronaldinho was unreal, the free-flowing magician.

The former United centre back believes Messi may be the finest player he has faced up against

'But with Messi, he’d do all of that but there was always a goal or an assist at the end of it.'

The former centre back previously conceded that the heartbreak in the 2009 showpiece continues to haunt him, having believed that Xavi wouldn't be able to pick out Messi with a floated cross over Ferdinand's head.

But Xavi's delivery in Rome was inch-perfect, allowing Messi to steer a header beyond Edwin van der Sar, and Ferdinand has since accepted that his ill-fated bet proved costly.