Rio Gavin Ferdinand (born 7 November 1978) is an English former professionalfootballer who played as acentre-back, and was a television pundit forTNT Sports, for ten years.[4] He played 81 times for theEngland national team between 1997 and 2011, and was a member of threeFIFA World Cup squads.[5] He is one of the most decorated English footballers of all time, regarded by many as one of England's greatest ever defenders.[6][7][8][9]
Ferdinand began his football career playing for various youth teams, finally settling atWest Ham United where he progressed through the youth ranks and made his professionalPremier League debut in 1996. He became a fan favourite, winning theHammer of the Year award the following season. He earned his first senior international cap in a match againstCameroon in 1997, setting a record as the youngest defender to play for England at the time. His achievements and footballing potential attractedLeeds United and he transferred to the club for a record-breaking fee of £18 million. He spent two seasons at the club, becoming theteam captain in 2001, before he joinedManchester United in July 2002for around £30 million, breaking the 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 adrugs 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 theEuro 2004 international competition. Upon his return, he established himself in the Manchester United first team and received plaudits for his performances, featuring in thePFA Team of the Year four times in five years. More club success followed with another Premier League win in the2006–07 season and a Premier League andUEFA Champions League double the following year. His career at United, in which he won six Premier League titles and 14 trophies,[10] ended when his contract expired in 2014, and he subsequently joinedQueens 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 September 2017, Ferdinand announced his intention to become a professional boxer, partly to help him cope with the death of his wife.[11] His brother,Anton, also a centre-back, played for clubs including West Ham andSunderland. Former England international strikerLes Ferdinand and formerDagenham & Redbridge midfielderKane Ferdinand are his cousins.
In 2025, Ferdinand, his wife Kate and family, relocated toDubai citing better educational standards for his children and the quality ofUAE lifestyle.[4]
Ferdinand grew up inPeckham in a large family, his mother was one of six children and his father arrived in Britain with ten other family members.[15] Both parents worked to support the family, his mother as a child carer and his father as a tailor. His parents never married and they separated when he was 14 years old. His father remained close, moving to a nearby estate, and took the kids to football training and to local parks.[13][16] Ferdinand attended Camelot Primary School.[16][17] At school, he focused on maths and revelled in the opportunity to perform before an audience during a school production ofBugsy Malone.[16]
"I always as a kid wanted to do something different, I'd get bored very easily – even playing football or hanging around with my mates. So travelling away from home, meeting new people. ... I enjoyed it."[16]
He chose to attendBlackheath Bluecoat School to make new friends and settled in well, feeling his confidence growing.[13] His second year was marred by the death of a fellow pupil,Stephen Lawrence, and the event demonstrated the ever-present threat of violence.[17] Ferdinand enjoyed physical expression, taking part in not just football and gymnastics classes but drama, theatre and ballet too.[16] He was an able child: he representedSouthwark in gymnastics at theLondon Youth Games,[18] by age 10 he had been invited to train at theQueens Park Rangers academy, and at age 11 he won a scholarship to attend theCentral School of Ballet in London.[13] Ferdinand attended the ballet classes, travelling to the city centre four days a week for four years.[16]
Youth-team career
Ferdinand's superior footballing abilities were evident even as a child: when he was 11 years old a youth coach, David Goodwin, remarked "I'm going to call you Pelé, son, I like the way you play."[16] Ferdinand was regularly playing in youth teams and at Eltham Town he played as anattacking midfielder but team scouts saw the young player had the physical potential to be a centre-back instead. Teams vied for the young footballer's services and during his youth he trained withCharlton Athletic,Chelsea,Millwall and Queens Park Rangers. Ferdinand was ever curious of different places and even travelled north toMiddlesbrough's training ground, spending a good part of his school holidays in a bedsit just to be there.[16]
London team West Ham United was to be his footballing home, however, and he joined theiryouth system in 1992.[13] He signed his firstYouth Training Scheme contract in January 1994 and played alongside players such asFrank Lampard at the academy.[16][19] Success pending at club level, international football also began for Ferdinand; at 16 he joined the England youth-team squad to compete in their age group'sUEFA European Championship, gaining his first experience of international competition.[16]
Club career
West Ham United
Rio and Anton Ferdinand playing inTony Carr's testimonial match in 2010.
Originally scouted byFrank Lampard, Ferdinand progressed through the youth-team ranks, earning a professional contract and a place in the first-team squad in the process.[16] On 5 May 1996, he made his senior team debut, as he came on as a substitute forTony Cottee in the Hammers' last game of the season, a 1–1 home draw againstSheffield Wednesday.[16][20] On 1 February 1997, Ferdinand scored his first goal for West Ham, in his sixth appearance for the club, scoring in a 2–1 loss againstBlackburn Rovers. In doing so, Ferndinand became the youngest player, aged 18 and 86 days, to score for West Ham in the Premier League.[21] During the summer of 1997,Manchester United made enquires about Ferdinand before they turned toHenning Berg after West Ham rejected any sale.[22]
During the 1997–98 season, Ferdinand won the Hammer of the Year award at the young age of 19.[23]
AFC Bournemouth (loan)
In November 1996, Ferdinand joinedAFC Bournemouth on loan. He made his debut on 9 November in a 1–1 away draw againstBlackpool. He played 10 games for Bournemouth before returning to West Ham in January 1997.[24]
Leeds United
Ferdinand joined Premier League clubLeeds United in November 2000 for £18 million, then a British transfer record as well as becoming the world's most expensive defender.[23] Despite an uncomfortable start to his career atElland Road, beginning with a 3–1 defeat atLeicester City on his debut,[25] Ferdinand settled well and became an integral part of the Leeds team that reached the semi-final stage of theUEFA Champions League, scoring with a header in the quarter-final against Spain'sDeportivo La Coruña.[26] Other highlights during his spell in Yorkshire included goals against Liverpool atAnfield[27] and a scoring return to Upton Park.[28]
The following season, in August 2001, he became the clubcaptain after replacingLucas Radebe and turned in an impressive second campaign, despite Leeds' failure to break into the top three and secure qualification for the competition they had figured in so prominently during the previous season. During the2002 FIFA World Cup, rumours began circulating that the club were in dire financial trouble and that new managerTerry Venables would be forced to part with his star defender for a substantial amount of cash. Later that summer after Ferdinand's impressive World Cup for England, Leeds accepted a bid of £29.3 million with possible performance related add-ons up to £33.3 million due to their perilous financial position.[29] Years later, Rio admitted he sat in the office of Leeds chairmanPeter Ridsdale for almost six hours to force the transfer through.[30]
Manchester United
2002–2007
Ferdinand for Manchester United in 2008
On 22 July 2002, Ferdinand joined fellow Premier League side Manchester United on a five-year deal to become the most expensive British footballer in history at the time and the world's most expensive defender for a second time, a title he had lost in 2001 toLilian Thuram. Ferdinand went on to win the Premier League title with Manchester United in his first season at the club. He collected a winner's medal in the2006 League Cup, with runners-up medals in the2003 League Cup and the2005 FA Cup.[31]
In September 2003, he failed to attend adrug test scheduled to take place at United's Carrington training ground.[32] Ferdinand had left after training to go shopping, only to remember and attempt to return, only to be told it was too late.[33] He later undertook the test and passed,[34] and also later offered to have a hair follicle test,[35] but the FA turned down the offer.[36]The Football Association (FA) Disciplinary Committee, chaired byBarry Bright, imposed an eight-month ban from January 2004 at club and international level and a £50,000 fine, meaning he would miss the rest of the season and some of the next along with all ofEuro 2004.[37] United appealed against the verdict and sought to draw parallels to the case ofManchester City playerChristian Negouai, who was fined £2,000 for missing a test.[38] In the end, the original verdict was upheld.[39] In September, it was announced that he would make his return againstLiverpool;[40] Alex Ferguson praised his "assuredness and composure" as United won the match 2–1.[41]
In a fixture againstCharlton Athletic in May 2005, United supporters booed Ferdinand amidst his refusal to sign a new contract.[42][43] Ferdinand still hadn't signed a new contract in July and faced pressure from Ferguson to sign it,[44] taking away his position as vice-captain.[45] Ferdinand was booed during several pre-season friendlies in July and August,[46][47] before finally signing a new four-year contract.[48] Ferdinand later reflected on the saga, saying how he used it as motivation to change the views of United's supporters from negative to positive.[49]
On 14 December, in a game againstWigan Athletic, Ferdinand scored his first goal for United, en route to a 4–0 victory.[50] He followed this later in the month with a powerfully headed goal againstWest Bromwich Albion.[51] On 22 January 2006, Ferdinand scored a last minute winner against Liverpool at Old Trafford.[52] In the corresponding fixture in the following season on 22 October, Ferdinand scored again in a 2–0 victory.[53]
Following impressive and consistent performances in the league, Rio Ferdinand was named in the2006–07PFA Premiership Team of the Season, alongside seven of his Manchester United teammates.[54]
Ferdinand started the 2007–08 season well, he was part of a United defence that managed to keep six clean sheets in a row in the Premier League, before conceding an early goal toAston Villa atVilla Park on 20 October 2007.[55] It was also during this game where Ferdinand scored his first goal of the season, which was United's third goal of that game, with a left foot strike which took a very strong deflection off one of Villa's defenders. Just three days later, Ferdinand scored his first European goal for United by opening the scoring againstDynamo Kyiv, with a superb header. United dominated the game and won 4–2.[56]
On 12 January 2008, Ferdinand bagged a rare Premier League goal in a 6–0 hammering ofNewcastle United at Old Trafford. In their FA Cup quarter-final match againstPortsmouth on 8 March 2008 when Manchester United dominated, Ferdinand made a rare appearance as a goalkeeper, afterEdwin van der Sar left the pitch with a groin injury and the replacement keeper,Tomasz Kuszczak, was sent off after conceding a penalty. Despite diving the right way, he was unable to saveSulley Muntari's spot kick, and Manchester United were eliminated from theFA Cup.[57] On 6 April 2008, against Middlesbrough, Ferdinand limped out of the match due to a foot injury. He was rated doubtful whether he would faceA.S. Roma in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final second leg on 9 April 2008. He would play the full 90 minutes, though he received three stitches at half-time.[58]
After United's 2–1 loss to Chelsea in the Premier League in April 2008, Ferdinand swore at Chelsea stewards and tried to kick a wall in the tunnel, but instead kicked a female steward, Tracy Wray. Ferdinand claimed to have merely brushed her with his foot.[59] He said he had apologised and sent the steward some flowers. However, Wray showed the bruise on her leg to the media, and her husband claimed that Ferdinand had not apologised or sent flowers.[60]
It was announced on 18 April 2008 that, along withMichael Carrick andWes Brown, Ferdinand had agreed to sign a new five-year contract, worth around £130,000 a week, that would keep him with United until 2013.[61] On 21 May 2008, Ferdinand captained Manchester United to aChampions League Final victory versus Chelsea.[62] He accepted the trophy together withRyan Giggs, as Giggs was the on field captain for most of the matches during that season duringGary Neville's absence due to injury.
In an interview withBBC Radio 5 Live he criticised FIFA's approach to tackling racism in football, stating that not enough was being done to punish those guilty of homophobic or racist abuse at matches. Regarding taunts aimed atEmile Heskey in England's 4–1 victory against Croatia inZagreb, Ferdinand remarked:
"Croatia were fined a few thousand quid. What's that going to do? That is not going to stop people shouting racist or homophobic abuse...If things like this keep happening you have to take points off them. Then the punters will realise the team is going to be punished."[63]
Ferdinand had an injury plagued 2009–10 season, a number of back and knee injuries kept him on the sidelines for months. He returned to action on 28 January 2010, but was banned for four games after being found guilty of violent conduct for elbowingHull City'sCraig Fagan.[64][65]
Due to a knee injury he suffered in the summer of 2010, which ruled him out of the World Cup for England, he missed all of pre-season, the Community Shield and the first four games of the2010–11 Premier League season. He returned to first-team football in the opening game of the Champions League group stage againstRangers on 14 September. He captained the side and played the full 90 minutes in a goalless draw. He started the season opening game in August 2011, the2011 FA Community Shield, where United found themselves 2–0 down at half time to city rivals Manchester City. Ferdinand was taken off after 45 minutes along with defensive partnerNemanja Vidić and replaced byJonny Evans andPhil Jones respectively. United went on to win the game 3–2 and Ferdinand claimed his fourth Community Shield medal of his career. Ferdinand started in the opening Premier League match of the season at West Bromwich Albion, a game United won 2–1, but he went off with a hamstring injury after 75 minutes. After the match,Alex Ferguson confirmed that Ferdinand would be out for six weeks. Ferdinand however recovered much quicker than initially diagnosed and returned to take a place on the bench two weeks later at Old Trafford in United's 8–2 demolition ofArsenal, although he did not play a part in the game.[66] Ferdinand made his return to competitive action in a 1–1 draw againstStoke City at theBritannia Stadium.
Ferdinand with Queens Park Rangers, October 2014
On 9 December 2012, Ferdinand was struck and injured by a coin thrown from the home crowd during United's 3–2derby victory away from home against Manchester City.[67]
On 5 March 2013, Ferdinand, unhappy with the refereeCüneyt Çakır's decision to send offNani during a 2–1 Champions League defeat toReal Madrid at Old Trafford, clapped sarcastically in the referee's face after the game. He escaped any punishment from UEFA for the incident.[68]
On 12 May 2013, Ferdinand scored the winner and final goal of the Alex Ferguson era at Old Trafford in a 2–1 victory overSwansea City. After a corner was missed by everyone, the ball found its way to Ferdinand at the back post and he hit it on the volley to seal the win. On 23 May 2013, it was announced that Ferdinand had secured a new one-year contract that would see him stay with the club until the end of the 2013–14 season.[69] He was not offered an extension when that contract expired, and agreed to leave Manchester United on 12 May 2014. In a letter on his official website, he said "I am feeling fit and healthy, ready for a new challenge and looking forward to whatever the future holds for me."[70]
Queens Park Rangers
On 17 July 2014, Ferdinand signed for newly promoted Premier League clubQueens Park Rangers on a one-year contract.[71] He returned to Old Trafford for the first time since leaving Manchester United on 14 September 2014 to face his former club in the Premier League in which his side was beaten 4–0.[72]
In October 2014, Ferdinand confirmed in an interview onThe Jonathan Ross Show that he would retire at the end of the season, saying "I'm not fearful of retirement, I'm looking forward to it, I can see some good stuff hopefully happening ahead".[73] In May 2015, following their relegation, Queens Park Rangers announced the release of Ferdinand in the summer.[74] He made only 12 appearances for QPR in his only season with the club.[75]
On 30 May 2015, Ferdinand announced his retirement from professional football, three days after his departure from QPR.[76][77]
Ferdinand wascapped 81 times for England, making him England's secondmost capped black player behindAshley Cole with 107.[78] Although Ferdinand was named in four consecutive England World Cup squads (albeit without playing in 1998 and missing 2010 through injury), he never went to a European Championship due to a ban for missing a drugs test and due to England's failure to qualify forUEFA Euro 2008.
At the age of 19 years and 8 days, Ferdinand earned his first fullEngland cap as a substitute in a friendly againstCameroon on 15 November 1997, making him the youngest defender to play for England at the time (a record broken in 2006 byMicah Richards). Ferdinand would have made an even earlier debut in September had he not been charged with drink-driving in the build-up to England's1998 World Cup qualifier againstMoldova. Ferdinand was named in the squad for this game and was a likely starter; however, the public mourning forPrincess Diana – whose chauffeur had been suspected of drink-driving – leftGlenn Hoddle with little choice but to drop the teenager from the squad.[82] After an impressive1997–98 season he was selected for the1998 FIFA World Cup squad as a back-up defender. However, he was not selected inKevin Keegan's 22-man squad forUEFA Euro 2000.[83][84]
After his £18 million move to Leeds United, Ferdinand was named in the starting line-up bycaretaker managerPeter Taylor in afriendly match againstItaly[85] and quickly established himself as a first-choice player underSven-Göran Eriksson. He was selected as one of England's two first-choice centre-backs at the 2002 and2006 FIFA World Cups, wearing the number 5 shirt.
On 25 March 2008, it was announced that Ferdinand would wear thecaptain's armband forFabio Capello's second game in charge of the national team,[87] ahead of John Terry,Steven Gerrard orDavid Beckham, who some believed would be named captain to mark his 100th cap for his country. An FA statement suggested that the decision to name Ferdinand as captain was part of Capello's plans of rotating the captaincy before naming an official captain for September's World Cup qualifiers. On 19 August, however, Ferdinand lost out to Terry in retaining the captain's armband but was named vice-captain by Fabio Capello.[88]
A mistake in the match between England andUkraine inDnipropetrovsk on 10 October 2009, which led to thesending off ofRobert Green, caused some to question his inclusion in the squad. A lack of match practice for his club and a series of errors such as he suffered in his early days as a footballer led to criticism of his inclusion from several corners.[89]
On 5 February 2010, Ferdinand replaced John Terry as captain of England.[90]
Although back and groin injury problems forced him to miss much of the2009–10 domestic season, Ferdinand was selected to captain England at the 2010 World Cup. However, he suffered a knee ligament injury during the team's first training session in South Africa on 4 June and was subsequently ruled out of the tournament.[91] On 19 March 2011, ahead of England'sEuro 2012 qualifier against Wales, Capello announced that John Terry was to be re-instated as permanent England captain and that Ferdinand would return to his role of vice-captain.[92]
Ferdinand was left out ofRoy Hodgson's squad forEuro 2012, leading to strong speculation this was to avoid potential conflict with John Terry, who was included in the squad, due to Terry's upcoming trial for racially abusing Ferdinand's brotherAnton.[93] Further controversy arose afterGary Cahill was ruled out of the tournament, with 22-year-oldMartin Kelly with only two minutes of international football being called up as a replacement instead of Ferdinand. This led to Ferdinand's representative Jamie Moralee accusing Hodgson of showing a "lack of respect".[94]
On 3 October 2012, theDaily Mirror reported that Roy Hodgson had revealed to fellow passengers on theLondon Underground that Ferdinand would no longer be considered for England duty, despite the retirement of John Terry.[95] Hodgson later apologised for these comments and denied that he was ruling Ferdinand out of playing for England again.[96]
On 14 March 2013, Ferdinand was recalled to the England squad for the first time under Hodgson for England's2014 World Cup qualifiers againstSan Marino andMontenegro, though subsequently Ferdinand pulled out of the squad on 18 March due to 'fitness concerns'. Ferdinand said he was "gutted" at having to withdraw but said it was the "right decision". However, Roy Hodgson assured Ferdinand he still had an international future despite the withdrawal.[97][98]
In May 2013, Ferdinand announced his retirement from international football, saying that "it's the right time to make room for young players and focus on the club career".[99][100]
Style of play
Ferdinand was considered an atypical defensive product of English football due to his more elegant, graceful, and "continental" rather than physical style of defensive play;[101][102][103][104] in particular, he was singled out for his unique technical ability, skill, balance, and confidence on the ball, despite his height, as well as his composure in possession, distribution with either foot, and his ability to carry the ball forward or play it out from the back on the ground.[105][106][107][108][109][110] As such, due to his mobility and ball–playing ability, he was often paired with a more physical centre-back throughout his career, such as Nemanja Vidić with Manchester United, or John Terry with England.[108][109][111][112] Although he often played in acentral defensive pairing in a back–four throughout his career, he was also capable of playing in the centre of a three–man back–line, in which he essentially functioned as asweeper, courtesy of his technique and passing.[113] Due to his ball skills, he occasionally drew criticism from pundits and his managers in his youth for taking unnecessary risks in possession, and committing mistakes, although he improved upon this aspect of the game as he matured with age and experience.[104][114]
A world-class defender, who was considered to be one of the best stoppers in the world at his peak,[102][115] Ferdinand is regarded as one of the best defenders of his generation, and as one of England's, Manchester United's, and the Premier League's best ever centre-backs.[101][106][112][116][117][118] In his prime, he was also praised for his pace, work-rate, and tackling,[104][107][108] in addition to his positioning, consistency, intelligence, and ability to read the game.[101][119][120][121][122][123] He was also an athletic and physically strong defender, who was reliable in the air,[101][124][125][126] although at times he was criticised in the media for his aerial game, as well as his ability to defend high balls and set pieces, in particular in his youth.[114][127] In addition to his defensive skills, he also possessed significant leadership qualities.[107][128] Despite his ability, however, his later career was marked by injuries, which led him to lose the exceptional pace which had characterised him in his early career, and which previously allowed him to compensate for the occasional lapses in concentration he experienced in his youth; as such, he occasionally struggled against faster opponents with his advancing age.[102][113][118][126]
Boxing career
In September 2017, Ferdinand announced that he was launching a career to become aprofessional boxer. His move into the ring was sponsored by betting companyBetfair, who assisted him in attempting to qualify for his British Boxing Board of Control (BBBC) licence before he began training and competing. Ferdinand stated that "I'm doing this [boxing] because it's a challenge, I've won titles and now I'm aiming for a belt."[129] It was announced in May 2018 that Ferdinand had been refused a professional boxing licence by theBritish Boxing Board of Control. BBBofC general secretary Robert Smith told BBC Sport: "There are a lot of things we take into consideration. He never had a competitive fight and although he has been in the gym, there is a difference between being in the gym and boxing. We do not deem it beneficial for him to have a licence."[130] Following the rejection, Ferdinand announced that he was "hanging-up his gloves".[131]
FA commission
On 20 October 2013, Ferdinand and Roy Hodgson were appointed to the Football Association's commission to improve the state of the national game.[132]
Ferdinand grew up in the Friary council estate, Peckham.[17] He has several brothers and sisters: one brother and three sisters on his father's side and a brother and sister from his mother's remarriage.[13] His brother,Anton Ferdinand, also played as a defender, while his cousins areLes Ferdinand andKane Ferdinand.[17] Although he spent the majority of his career with Manchester United, he grew up supportingrivals Liverpool.[133]
In 2006 in Manchester, Ferdinand's girlfriend Rebecca Ellison gave birth to their first son.[134] The couple had two more children.[135] In 2010, Ferdinandunsuccessfully sued theSunday Mirror to prevent the publication of a story about an alleged affair with Carly Storey.[136] During the case, it was alleged that then-England captain Ferdinand had affairs with ten different women.[137][138]
Ellison and Ferdinand married in 2009. Ellison died ofbreast cancer on 2 May 2015, aged 34.[139][140] Ferdinand's memoir of his wife's illness and subsequent bereavement,Thinking Out Loud, was co-written withDecca Aitkenhead, and published in October 2017.[141]
On 27 September 2019, Ferdinand married for the second time, to Kate Wright. The ceremony was attended by his children, along with the couple's other close family members.[142] In June 2020, Ferdinand and Wright announced that they were expecting their first child together.[143] The child, a boy, was born on 18 December 2020.
Ferdinand set up the Live the Dream Foundation charity in December 2009 to provide education and employment opportunities for children.[144]
In 2000, Ferdinand briefly appeared in a sexually explicit video filmed at theAyia Napa resort in Cyprus along with fellow English footballersKieron Dyer andFrank Lampard.Channel 4 aired a brief clip as part of their 2004 documentarySex, Footballers and Videotape, claiming it was used to "remind the viewer that this is based on real life".[146]
In 2002, during the rape trial of their acquaintance Martin King, Ferdinand and former Leeds colleagueMichael Duberry denied allegations that Duberry had molested the woman and Ferdinand had threatened her in the Leeds nightclub Hi-Fi on the night of 22 January, as well as further allegations of scuffling and drunkenness. Both men were interviewed by the police but the Crown Prosecution Service announced in April 2003 that they would not face charges.[147] King was found guilty of indecent assault and attempted rape.[148]
During a radio interview onThe Chris Moyles Show in October 2006, Ferdinand attracted two listener complaints and criticism from gay rights campaignerPeter Tatchell when he called Moyles afaggot, followed by "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm nothomophobic", after Moyles had jokingly suggested he was homosexual.BBC Radio 1 later dismissed the exchange asbanter, while Tatchell said "since [he] very promptly apologised, I am happy to accept his regret and leave it at that".[149]
In the wake of acourt case involvingJohn Terry and Rio's brother Anton, in which Terry was found not guilty of racial abuse, Rio Ferdinand sparked media controversy by expressing amusement at the comments of aTwitter user who referred toAshley Cole, who had testified in Terry's favour, as a "choc ice", a slang term which is commonly understood to mean "black on the outside, white on the inside". Ferdinand deleted the tweet shortly afterwards and deniedchoc ice is a racist term, adding, "And if I want to laugh at something someone tweets....I will! Hahahahaha! Now stop getting ya knickers in a twist!"[150] Cole's lawyers released a statement in response, stating that he would not be taking the matter further.[151] Ferdinand's words were condemned as "insensitive and untimely" byProfessional Footballers' Association (PFA) chiefClarke Carlisle.[152] In August 2012, Ferdinand was fined £45,000 for his Twitter remarks after an Independent Regulatory Commission found him guilty of bringing the game into disrepute with an "improper" comment which included "a reference to ethnic origin, colour or race."[153]
In October 2014, Ferdinand was again charged by the FA for using offensive language on Twitter, after referring to the mother of a critic as a "sket", aJamaican slang word for a promiscuous female.[154] Ferdinand was fined £25,000 for the offence and banned from playing for three games.[155] The FA considered Ferdinand's position as a "role model" to be an aggravating factor for the penalty, in addition to it being his second Twitter offence within three years and no admission of wrongdoing.[156]
In March 2015, it was announced that Ferdinand would be the new face ofonline casino Casino Floor. The announcement provoked strong criticism on Twitter from a number of Ferdinand's followers,[157] who suggested it was inappropriate that a role model for young people should endorse gambling, particularly given the well documented struggles of many of his peers withproblem gambling.[158]
Driving bans
In September 1997, Ferdinand was convicted ofdrink-driving and given a one-year driving ban. He had been breathalysed after driving on the morning after a night out, and was found to be one point over the limit.[159] As a result, England managerGlenn Hoddle dropped Ferdinand from the squad to face Moldova in a World Cup qualification match on 10 September, meaning Ferdinand lost out on the chance, at 18 years and 10 months of age, of becoming the youngest England international sinceDuncan Edwards.[159][160]
In March 2003, Ferdinand was given another six-month ban from driving, and fined £2,500 and sixpenalty points for driving at an average of 92 mph (148 km/h) along theM1.[161] In May 2005, he was criticised by amagistrate as he received his fourth ban from driving and a fine of £1,500, after being caught by traffic police "travelling at an average of 105.9 mph (170.4 km/h) over a distance of nearly two miles" on theM6 motorway. Upon setting the penalty, the magistrate said Ferdinand "should be a positive role model for young people in society and this does not give out the right message". It followed two previous bans forspeeding, in 2002 and 2003.[162]
In August 2020, Ferdinand was banned from driving for six months after he admitted speeding on the A27 at Hangleton in Hove. Ferdinand was reported to have driven at 85 mph. He was ordered to pay a total of £822 in fines and costs.[163]
In December 2023, a 33-year-old man fromStaffordshire was sent to prison for six months, having been found guilty of racially abusing Ferdinand atMolineux in May 2021. Ferdinand was working there as a TV pundit for a match betweenWolverhampton Wanderers and Manchester United.[166]
Television, punditry, film and music
Ferdinand in 2015
TheDuran Duran song "Rio" has been used infootball chants both for and against Ferdinand; in 2002, fanSimon Le Bon (Duran Duran's lead singer) promised to re-record one of the football chants if the England team (featuring Ferdinand) won their World Cup quarter-final against Brazil.[167]
In 2005, Ferdinand, along with an old school friend, created the record label White Chalk Music.[170] To date, there are two artists signed to the label: Melody Johnston and Nia Jai. The latter released an album on 6 October 2010, which features Ferdinand rapping.[171]
In June 2006, ahead of the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Ferdinand presented the TV showRio's World Cup Wind-Ups, in which he carried out a series of practical jokes on his England teammates. It was broadcast immediately after England's opening World Cup game against Paraguay.[172]
He made his first foray into the world of cinema in late 2008, financing and becoming an executive producer ofAlex de Rakoff's filmDead Man Running. The film featuresDanny Dyer and50 Cent in a gangster-themed plot. Ferdinand will share production credits with England teammate Ashley Cole.[173]
In 2008, Ferdinand filmed a documentary aboutPeckham, aiming to persuade youngsters away from a life of crime.[174]
On 16 January 2009, it was announced that he would be working with publishing company Made Up Media to launch a digital magazine.[175] In conjunction with this, Ferdinand was guest editor of the February edition of theObserver Sport Monthly, providing interviews with people ranging fromGordon Brown toUsain Bolt.[176] The magazine, called#5 Magazine, had its first issue published in April of that year.[177]
In 2015, he joinedBT Sport (now TNT Sports) as a pundit for their coverage of the Premier League, FA Cup, UEFA Champions League andUEFA Europa League.[178]
In March 2017, Ferdinand discussed strategies for coping with bereavement in theBBC One documentaryRio Ferdinand: Being Mum and Dad.[179] The programme won the Robert Flaherty Award for Single Documentary at the2018 BAFTA Awards.
Released in November 2022, Ferdinand was the focus of a three-part docuseries entitledRio Ferdinand's Tipping Point which explored race, sexuality, and mental health in football communities.[180]
Career statistics
Club
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
^"Keegan names Euro 2000 squad".BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 1 June 2000.Archived from the original on 31 October 2019. Retrieved15 May 2020.
^Participant: Rio Ferdinand; Director: Matt Smith (28 March 2017)."Rio Ferdinand: Being Mum and Dad".Rio Ferdinand: Being Mum and Dad. BBC. BBC One. Retrieved28 March 2017.
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