New Leeds boss Terry Venables has already made it clear he wants to keep England star Rio Ferdinand at Elland Road.

Leeds chairman Peter Ridsdale met with Venables in Spain on Saturday when Ferdinand and wantaway Lee Bowyer were discussed.

Yesterday's announcement that the former Middlesbrough head coach and England boss was taking over at the Yorkshire club came as a relief to many Boro fans after Steve McClaren had been strongly linked with the post.

But McClaren reaffirmed his commitment to his work on Teesside, and Venables was officially announced as the Leeds' boss yesterday morning.

Venables said: ''It has all happened so quickly. I had a call from Leeds at my home in Spain last Friday night when I was told they wanted to meet me.

''They came out to see me on Saturday when I met the chairman. We had two hours of talks and it was agreed I would become manager of Leeds United.

''I had to wait until this morning for an announcement confirming the appointment to be made official through the London Stock Exchange.

''The whole business had been conducted like a whirlwind. It was irresistible. That's how it has seemed to me. I can hardly believe it has been finalised so quickly."

Ridsdale revealed that Venables was eager to discuss the futures of the Leeds' players during their Spanish meeting, and his ideas for the vital forthcoming season.

''We talked over lunch about all of our players and the players that he (Venables) wants to bring in as and when required,'' Ridsdale said.

''Rio Ferdinand was obviously one of those we discussed. Of course Terry would like him at Elland Road and my point of view was that he is a player who is contracted to us and, as far as I am concerned, that is the way it will stay.

''Terry is also aware of the situation regarding Lee Bowyer and, as I have said all along, the door is still open to Lee to sign a new contract and commit himself to Leeds United.

''I had lunch with Terry in Spain on Saturday and within ten minutes, so infectious is his enthusiasm, that he has you believing that you can play for England. Imagine how that must make a player puff out his chest.''

Leeds announced through the Stock Exchange yesterday that Venables had succeeded David O'Leary as manager and had signed a two-year contract.

And Ridsdale reckons Venables is a ''special'' coach who can do a Sir Bobby Robson at Elland Road.

Robson has turned Newcastle around since arriving at St James' Park and Ridsdale believes that Venables, another former England coach, can do the same with Leeds.

''I firmly believe we have the best - the very best.

''Players respect him, coaches admire him and I do think that Terry is special.

''If you wanted to draw up a comparison with the signing of Terry then the best would be Bobby Robson.

''He went to Newcastle as an ex-England manager and look what he's done. He has transformed the club.

''He is genuinely thrilled by the prospect of taking on and beating the big guns and I'll tell you this, I'm glad he will be sitting in our dugout and not that of the opposition.

"You could not possibly go through the entire Venables cv both as a player and a manager without arriving at the conclusion that he is supremely well qualified.''

Leeds landed Venables after Celtic boss Martin O'Neill revealed that he intended to see out the remaining year of his contract at Parkhead.

But Ridsdale is happy that Leeds have got the right man to take the club forward.

''Managing Leeds United is a big job. A huge job. It is therefore not surprising that when the position became vacant there were, over a period of days, many names in the frame.

''The one name which jumped out was Terry Venables. You talk to anybody in the game, the players, the managers, the coaches, and they are almost unanimous in their verdict that Terry is the best coach and manager in the game.

''For tangible evidence of his qualities you only have to look at the incredible rescue act he performed at Middlesbrough the season before last. Barring a miracle they were down and out of the Premiership with not even a hope of survival.

''They couldn't get a result to save their lives, but in walked Terry and from the moment he made his entrance things changed for the better.

''I suspect that he told them they were good players who had not become bad players overnight and restored their confidence to the degree that they were able to dig deep enough to retain their Premiership status.

''It takes a special man to be able to do that, and I do think that Terry is special.

''Anybody who watched his World Cup punditry had to be impressed by his tactical awareness and reading of the game.

''Terry has demonstrated his commitment to the cause by signing a two-year deal, agreeing to forego his television work and embarking straight away on a house search in Yorkshire.''

Venables himself believed his career as one of the world's most highly-respected coaches had ended until Leeds turned up and he will be officially installed at an Elland Road press conference tomorrow.

Venables said: ''If people are surprised about it then no more than myself.

"I simply didn't anticipate this outcome.

''I honestly felt I'd had enough of it all after Middlesbrough and that is why I was concentrating more and more on other aspects of my life.

''I loved television and my relationship with ITV has been fantastic. Without their help there is no way this could have been achieved.

"When I told them they said they were disappointed, but that it was great news for me and that in their opinion I deserved a club like Leeds. It was more than kind of them.'