As Ferdinand ran back to his defensive beat, he missed the long cool look from best pal Frank Lampard.
Ferdinand added: 'I was looking down all the time, I didn't think it was right to get too excited. From the moment I joined Leeds in October I was looking for this fixture and I knew how Frank would feel. But we had to win the match, that's the priority.'
Manager David O'Leary said: 'Some people told me I was making a mistake when I bought him for that money.
'All I can say is that he is the last off the training ground and when we're all wanting to go home he then starts asking me questions about what I did against this centre forward, or how I defended against somebody else. He wants to listen and learn all the time.'
Leeds bristled with commitment from the start, diving in to win the mid-field battles and surviving the loss of David Batty, sent off for allegedly throwing an elbow into the face of Joe Cole.
The West Ham teenager gingerly fingered the discoloration around his right eye and admitted: 'We don't seem to be able to beat teams who make it hard for us to play. We have to dig in, especially at home.'
That they could not compete physically with Leeds was the defining factor and West Ham had five players booked as they sought to get to grips with the muscle around them.
A despairing Harry Redknapp is grateful that Stuart Pearce will be back after suspension next week and at least the old warrior will make certain of maximum effort and commitment at Manchester City in a match which could decide whether West Ham are sucked into the relegation dogfight.
Once Redknapp had seen Frederic Kanoute go off after only six minutes, he realised how difficult it was going to be. He said: 'There was Rio, in command at the back, and we did not have enough up front. But what can I do? I'm not a magician.'
