The comparisons are compelling and irresistible. Both came through the famed West Ham Academy and both went on to captain England.
Both were widely regarded as the finest defenders of their generation and both played with an authority and composure that were the envy of their peers.
And as Rio Ferdinand prepares to lead England to South Africa this summer, the spectre looms large of Bobby Moore leading the nation to World Cup glory on home soil in 1966.
When he came through the West Ham ranks as a gangly teenager, Ferdinand drew favourable comparisons with Moore, not least because of his calmness on the ball which evoked memories of the Hammers legend.
Now, 40 years on, Ferdinand - now with Manchester United but having retained a deep affection for West Ham - has the chance to emulate Moore and stand alongside him as a true icon of English football.
Moore embodied the virtues of a natural leader with peerless ability, his no-nonsense style and the respect he commanded from others.
And Ferdinand, after a series of controversies in his career which at one stage threatened to ruin his enormous natural ability, has matured into a player of real stature in recent years.
And the 31-year-old United defender, who is hoping to put behind him an injury-ravaged season in which he made just 12 Premier League starts, admitted he had drawn inspiration from Moore’s famed leadership qualities.
“There are different types of leaders,” said Ferdinand. ‘There’s the guy that shouts and screams, and the guy that leads by example.
“Bobby Moore led by example, whereas Tony Adams was a shouter. They were two different types of captain, but both were successful.
“I do a bit of both. I lead by example, but when somebody needs to be told I never shirk that responsibility.
‘I’m normally one of the loudest in the changing room. I’m not only talking about football, but in general terms, and I won’t be changing. That’s the way I am. I’ve been like that since I was a kid.”
There was surprise when Ferdinand, himself no stranger to off-field scandals, was handed the captain’s armband after John Terry was stripped off it following the fall-out from his affair with the ex-partner of England team-mate Wayne Bridge.
An eight-month ban for a missed drugs test, which saw him miss Euro 2004, and lurid tales about his private life hardly marked him out as leadership material, but England coach Fabio Capello - like United boss Sir Alex Ferguson - sees a leader in Ferdinand.
Ferdinand wore Moore’s iconic No.6 shirt when he returned to Upton Park towards the end of the season for the testimonial of West Ham youth coach Tony Carr.
West Ham retired the shirt in 1993 following Moore’s death from cancer at the age of 51 and Carr paid Rio the ultimate tribute by hailing him as the best young player he had worked with.
From a coach who helped develop such talents as Frank Lampard, Joe Cole, Jermain Defoe, Paul Ince and Glen Johnson, that is some accolade.
“I guess Rio nicks it because he had it all, even as a kid,” said Carr. “He was quick, he could jump, pass.
“I wanted to give him the No.6 shirt because he’s England captain and that number belonged to another special England skipper still much loved at this club.
“I hope it could be the secret weapon to bringing the World Cup back this summer.”
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