The former England team-mates do not speak any more as a result of the fall-out from Terry's racism case with Ferdinand's brother, Anton.
Rio Ferdinand last year used his autobiography to say he found it "impossible to forgive or forget" the pain of that incident, but on Friday said in his column in The Sun he felt moved to praise Terry's on-the-field performances.
He said: "It's no secret that me and John Terry are not the closest of mates
But just because we no longer get on does not mean I've lost my admiration for him as a footballer.
"His performances for Chelsea this season have been nothing short of outstanding and I'm not afraid to say it
John took the decision to retire from playing for England and had his reasons, but Chelsea are reaping the benefits.
"John is finding, as I did, that the upside of being off the international scene is that your body gets the rest it needs which allows you to keep performing at top-level well into your 30s.
"As I said, me and John are not pals but then again I didn't like a lot of things about Luis Suarez either, especially when he was biting people."
Terry's Chelsea will win a fourth Premier League title if they beat Crystal Palace on Sunday.
Source : PA
Source: PA