Rio Ferdinand facts for kids
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Ferdinand in 2015
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Rio Gavin Ferdinand | ||
| Date of birth | 7 November 1978 | ||
| Place of birth | Camberwell, England | ||
| Height | 1.89m | ||
| Playing position | Centre-back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1992–1995 | West Ham United | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1995–2000 | West Ham United | 127 | (2) |
| 1996–1997 | → AFC Bournemouth (loan) | 10 | (0) |
| 2000–2002 | Leeds United | 54 | (2) |
| 2002–2014 | Manchester United | 312 | (7) |
| 2014–2015 | Queens Park Rangers | 11 | (0) |
| Total | 514 | (11) | |
| National team | |||
| 1996–1997 | England U18 | 7 | (0) |
| 1997–2000 | England U21 | 5 | (0) |
| 1997–2011 | England | 81 | (3) |
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Rio Gavin Ferdinand (born 7 November 1978) is a famous English former footballer. He played as a centre-back. Many people think he is one of England's best defenders ever. After retiring from playing, he became a television expert for TNT Sports.
Rio played 81 times for the England national team between 1997 and 2011. He was part of three FIFA World Cup teams. He started his career at West Ham United. He became a professional player in 1996. Fans loved him, and he won the Hammer of the Year award. In 1997, he became the youngest defender to play for England.
Later, he moved to Leeds United for a record fee. He became team captain in 2001. In 2002, he joined Manchester United for another record fee. At Manchester United, he won the Premier League in his first season. In 2003, he missed a drug test. This led to an eight-month ban from football. He missed part of the season and Euro 2004.
After his ban, he became a key player for Manchester United. He won six Premier League titles and 14 trophies with the club. His time at United ended in 2014. He then played one season for Queens Park Rangers. Rio announced his retirement from football on 30 May 2015.
Contents
About Rio Ferdinand
Early Life and Growing Up
Rio Gavin Ferdinand was born on 7 November 1978. He grew up in Peckham, London. His mother was Irish, and his father was from Saint Lucia. Rio's parents separated when he was 14. But his father stayed close and took him to football practice.
Rio went to Camelot Primary School. He enjoyed maths and acting in school plays. He also loved physical activities. He did gymnastics, drama, and ballet. By age 10, he trained at the Queens Park Rangers academy. At 11, he won a scholarship to the Central School of Ballet in London. He went to ballet classes four days a week for four years.
Youth Football Career
Rio's football talent was clear from a young age. A youth coach even called him "Pelé." He played for many youth teams. He trained with Charlton Athletic, Chelsea, and Millwall. He even traveled to Middlesbrough for training.
In 1992, he joined West Ham United's youth system. He played alongside future stars like Frank Lampard. At 16, he joined the England youth team. This gave him his first taste of international football.
Playing for Clubs
West Ham United
Rio started his professional career at West Ham United. He made his first team debut on 5 May 1996. He scored his first goal for West Ham in February 1997. He was only 18 years old. In 1997, Manchester United showed interest in him. But West Ham did not want to sell him. In the 1997–98 season, Rio won the Hammer of the Year award. This showed how much fans appreciated him.
Loan to AFC Bournemouth
In November 1996, Rio joined AFC Bournemouth on loan. He played 10 games for them. He returned to West Ham in January 1997.
Leeds United
In November 2000, Rio joined Leeds United. The transfer fee was £18 million, a record for a British player at the time. He quickly became an important player for Leeds. He helped them reach the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League. He even scored a goal in the quarter-final.
In August 2001, he became the team captain. Leeds faced financial problems. So, in 2002, they sold Rio to Manchester United.
Manchester United
Winning Trophies (2002–2007)
On 22 July 2002, Rio joined Manchester United. He became the most expensive British footballer again. In his first season, he helped United win the Premier League title. He also won the League Cup in 2006.
In September 2003, Rio missed a drug test. This led to an eight-month ban from football. He missed many games and the Euro 2004 tournament. When he returned in September 2004, he played very well. He became a key player in United's defense. He was named in the PFA Team of the Year multiple times.
Rio scored his first goal for United in December 2005. He scored a winning goal against Liverpool in January 2006. His strong performances helped United win the Premier League again in 2007.
More Success and Challenges (2007–2014)
Rio continued to play well in the 2007–08 season. He scored his first European goal for United against Dynamo Kyiv. In March 2008, he even played as a goalkeeper for a short time. This happened when both main goalkeepers were unavailable.
On 21 May 2008, Rio captained Manchester United to win the Champions League Final. They beat Chelsea. He lifted the trophy with Ryan Giggs.
Rio had some injuries in the 2009–10 season. He missed many games. A knee injury also kept him out of the 2010 World Cup. He continued to play for United, winning more trophies. In December 2012, he was hit by a coin during a game against Manchester City.
On 12 May 2013, Rio scored the last goal of Alex Ferguson's time as manager at Old Trafford. He signed a new one-year contract in 2013. But he left Manchester United in May 2014 when his contract ended.
Queens Park Rangers
On 17 July 2014, Rio joined Queens Park Rangers (QPR). They had just been promoted to the Premier League. He played against Manchester United in September 2014.
In October 2014, Rio said he would retire at the end of the season. QPR was relegated from the Premier League. He played only 12 games for them. On 30 May 2015, Rio announced his retirement from professional football.
Playing for England
Rio played 81 times for the England national team. He is England's second most capped black player. He was part of four World Cup squads. However, he never played in a European Championship. This was due to his ban and England not qualifying in 2008.
Rio scored three goals for England. His first was in the 2002 World Cup against Denmark. He scored another in a Euro 2008 qualifier against Russia in 2007. His third goal was in a 2010 World Cup qualifier against Kazakhstan in 2008.
He earned his first England cap on 15 November 1997. He was 19 years old. This made him the youngest defender to play for England at the time. He was chosen for the 1998 FIFA World Cup squad.
Rio became a regular starter for England under manager Sven-Göran Eriksson. He played as a first-choice centre-back in the 2002 and 2006 FIFA World Cups.
In 2008, he was named captain for a game by manager Fabio Capello. Later, he was named vice-captain. In February 2010, he became England captain. But a knee injury kept him out of the 2010 World Cup.
In May 2013, Rio announced his retirement from international football. He said it was time for younger players to take his place.
How Rio Played Football
Rio Ferdinand was known for his elegant style of play. He was different from many English defenders. He was very good with the ball. He had great skill and balance. He was calm when he had the ball. He could pass well and carry the ball forward.
He often played with a more physical defender, like Nemanja Vidić at Manchester United. Rio was fast and strong. He was good at reading the game. He was also a strong leader on the field.
As he got older, injuries affected his speed. But he is still seen as one of the best defenders of his time. Many consider him one of the best centre-backs in Premier League history.
Life After Football
Boxing Interest
In September 2017, Rio announced he wanted to become a professional boxer. He said it helped him cope with the death of his wife. He trained hard, but in May 2018, he was not given a professional boxing license. He then decided to stop pursuing boxing.
Charity Work
Rio has done a lot of charity work. In December 2009, he started the Live the Dream Foundation. This charity helps children get education and job opportunities. In 2022, he set up the Rio Ferdinand Foundation. This charity works with young people and helps communities.
Personal Life and Family
Rio grew up in Peckham with a large family. His brother, Anton Ferdinand, also played as a defender. His cousins, Les Ferdinand and Kane Ferdinand, are also footballers.
Rio married Rebecca Ellison in 2009. They had three children together. Sadly, Rebecca passed away from breast cancer in May 2015. Rio wrote a book about his experience called Thinking Out Loud.
In 2019, Rio married Kate Wright. They had their first child together, a boy, in December 2020.
Television and Media
Rio has appeared in many TV shows and commercials. He was in a Nike ad campaign for the 2002 World Cup. He also started his own record label, White Chalk Music.
In 2006, he hosted Rio's World Cup Wind-Ups. In this show, he played jokes on his England teammates. He also helped produce a film called Dead Man Running.
In 2008, Rio made a documentary about Peckham. He wanted to encourage young people away from crime. He also launched his own digital magazine, "#5 Magazine."
Since 2015, he has worked as a football expert for BT Sport (now TNT Sports). In 2017, he made a BBC documentary called Rio Ferdinand: Being Mum and Dad. It won an award for best documentary. In 2022, a three-part series called Rio Ferdinand's Tipping Point explored race and mental health in football.
Honours and Awards
Rio Ferdinand has won many awards and trophies during his career.
West Ham United
- UEFA Intertoto Cup: 1999
Manchester United
- Premier League: 2002–03, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2012–13
- Football League Cup: 2005–06, 2008–09
- FA Community Shield: 2003, 2007, 2008, 2011
- UEFA Champions League: 2007–08
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2008
Individual Awards
- West Ham United Hammer of the Year: 1997–98
- PFA Premier League Team of the Year: 2001–02, 2004–05, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2012–13
- Premier League Player of the Month: October 2001
- FIFPro World XI: 2007–08
- London Youth Games Hall of Fame: 2010
- English Football Hall of Fame: 2016
- Premier League Hall of Fame: 2023
Special Awards
- BAFTA Award for Best Single Documentary: 2018
- Honorary degree from London South Bank University: 2022
- Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE): 2022, for his services to football and charity.
Images for kids
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Ferdinand in 2015
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Ferdinand for Manchester United in 2008
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Ferdinand with Olof Mellberg in a match against Juventus in 2008
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Ferdinand as captain during the 2008–09 Champions League semi-final.
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Ferdinand with Queens Park Rangers, October 2014
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Ferdinand (wearing No.5) lining up for England against Paraguay at the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
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Ferdinand on international duty, 2009
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Ferdinand (far right) with Russian President Vladimir Putin (centre) at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia
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Ferdinand in 2015
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