Rio Ferdinand

Rio Gavin Ferdinand (born 7 November 1978) is an English footballer. He plays at centre back for Manchester United in the Premier League and at the international level for the England national football team. He has achieved 70 caps for the English national team while being selected for three FIFA World Cup squads. He is currently the vice-captain of the England national team and stand-in captain for Manchester United.

Known for his physical presence and composure on the ball, Ferdinand began his football career playing for various youth teams, finally settling at West Ham United where he progressed through the youth ranks and made his professional Premier League debut in 1996. He became a fan favourite, winning the 'Hammer of the Year award' the following season. He earned his first senior international cap in a match against Cameroon in 1997, setting a record as the youngest defender to play for England at the time. His achievements and footballing potential attracted Leeds United and he transferred to the club for a record-breaking fee of £18 million. He spent two seasons at the club, becoming the team captain in 2001.

He joined Manchester United in July 2002 for around £30 million, breaking the transfer fee record once more. He won the Premier League, his first major club honour, in a successful first season at the club. He missed a drugs test and was banned from competition for eight months, causing him to miss half a Premier League season and the Euro 2004 international competition. Upon his return, he established himself in the Manchester United first team and received plaudits for his performances, featuring in the PFA Team of the Year three times in four years. More club success followed with another Premier League win in the 2006–07 season and a Premier League and UEFA Champions League double the following year. His importance to the national team was underlined in March 2008 when Ferdinand captained England for the first time.


Armed with elegance, pace and an astute ability to read the game, Rio Ferdinand is one of the finest defenders in world football.

The Peckham-born star burst onto the Premiership scene with West Ham United under the guidance of Harry Redknapp before being snapped up by Leeds United for £18million in November 2000.

The 2002 World Cup provided Rio with the stage to make the transformation from budding talent to accomplished defender, and his performances in Japan convinced Sir Alex to part with £30million.

Although initially hampered by injury, Rio
found his feet towards the end of his first season, as United came back from the dead to overtake Arsenal and win a 15th league title.

In September 2003 disaster struck. The defender missed a routine drugs test and, despite appealing, was banned from football for eight months in January 2004.

Since returning from suspension, Rio has consistently justified his tag as a world-class defender. He's also chipped in with valuable goals, perhaps most dramatically with an injury-time winner against Liverpool in January 2006.

Although an increasingly potent threat from set-pieces, Rio’s main asset remains his leadership in defence, a skill that has made him a solid foundation for both United and England and seen him handed the captaincy for club and country on numerous occasions.

In May 2008, Ferdinand signed a new five-year contract, keeping him at Old Trafford until 2013. Six days later he went on to captain United to Champions League glory in Moscow. It was a fitting way to end a near flawless season for the centre-back.

His good form continued into the 2008/09 campaign, with Ferdinand playing a crucial role in United's record-breaking
clean-sheet run. Certainly, without his consistent performances at the back, the Reds may not have gone on to win an 18th league title or reach a second successive European final. Sadly Sir Alex's men lost to Barcelona in Rome, although things may well have been different had Ferdinand been fully fit (a calf injury hampered Rio's preparations).