Rio Ferdinand

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Lore & Background

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 British record fee of £18 million. He spent two seasons at the club, becoming the club captain in 2001, before he joined Manchester United in July 2002 for around £30 million, breaking the British transfer fee record once more. At Manchester United, he won the Premier League, his first major club honour, in a successful first season at the club. In September 2003, he missed a drugs test and was banned from football for eight months from January until September 2004, causing him to miss half a Premier League season, Manchester United's FA Cup triumph, 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 four times in five 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 career at United, in which he won six Premier League titles and 14 trophies, ended when his contract expired in 2014, and he subsequently joined Queens Park Rangers where he played for just one season before being released from the club as a result of their relegation from the Premier League. He announced his retirement from professional football on 30 May 2015.

In Their Own Story

The summer of 2003 brought chaos to Ferdinand's United campaign when he failed to attend a drugs test at Carrington training ground. Having left for shopping, he realized his error too late, leading to an eight-month ban imposed by the FA Disciplinary Committee chaired by Barry Bright. The penalty included a £50,000 fine and meant missing Euro 2004 and the rest of the 2003–04 season, including United's FA Cup win. United appealed, citing the lighter £2,000 fine given to Manchester City's Christian Negouai for a similar infraction, but the original verdict stood. Ferdinand returned in September against Liverpool, where Ferguson lauded his "assuredness and composure" in a 2–1 victory. This setback did not halt his trajectory; he quickly re-established himself as an indispensable first-team player. In the following years, he was named to the PFA Team of the Year four times in five years, guiding United to another Premier League title in 2006–07 and a historic Champions League double in 2008.

Reader's Guide

Rio Ferdinand was born on 7 November 1978 at King's College Hospital in Camberwell and grew up in Peckham. He is the son of an Irish mother, Janice Lavender, and an Afro-Saint Lucian father, Julian Ferdinand. He attended Camelot Primary School and later Blackheath Bluecoat School. He represented Southwark in gymnastics at the London Youth Games, trained at the Queens Park Rangers academy from age 10, and at age 11 won a scholarship to attend the Central School of Ballet in London, attending ballet classes four days a week for four years. He joined West Ham United's youth system in 1992, signed his first Youth Training Scheme contract in January 1994, and played alongside Frank Lampard at the academy. He made his senior debut for West Ham on 5 May 1996 as a substitute, and scored his first goal for the club on 1 February 1997, becoming the youngest player to score for West Ham in the Premier League at age 18 and 86 days. He spent a loan spell at AFC Bournemouth from November 1996 to January 1997, making 10 appearances. He joined Leeds United in November 2000 for £18 million, becoming club captain in August 2001. He joined Manchester United on 22 July 2002 for around £30 million. After his ban, he won the Premier League in 2006–07 and the Premier League and UEFA Champions League double the following year (2007–08). He left Manchester United in 2014, played one season for Queens Park Rangers, and retired on 30 May 2015. In September 2017, he announced his intention to become a professional boxer. His brother Anton also played as a centre-back; his cousins include Les Ferdinand and Kane Ferdinand.

Did You Know?

• Ferdinand was the youngest defender to play for England at the time of his debut in 1997.
• He won the Hammer of the Year award at age 19.
• He missed a drugs test in September 2003 and was banned for eight months, missing the 2004 FA Cup final and Euro 2004.
• Ferdinand won six Premier League titles and 14 trophies at Manchester United.
• He announced his intention to become a professional boxer in September 2017.