Rio Gavin Ferdinand is a former England international football player who currently features for the Premier League and European giants Manchester United. He plays as a central defender and is said to be a world class player. Ferdinand has won both the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League with the Red Devils.
Ferdinand developed at the youth academy of Eltham Town, Queens Park Rangers and then West Ham United. He made his first team debut for West Ham on May 5, 1996 when he came on as a substitute against Sheffield Wednesday. He was voted the Hammers’ of the Year in the 1997-1998 season when he was only 20 years of age.
Ferdinand was signed by Leeds United in November 2000 for 18 million pounds and went on to feature in 50 league matches for them in two seasons.
Ferdinand was signed by Manchester United in July 2002 on a five-year deal for 30 million pounds and gradually established himself in the heart of their defence. In 2003 he failed to attend a drug test, saying that he has forgotten because he was moving houses but had actually gone shopping. He was subsequently banned for eight months from January 2004 at club and international level and slapped with a £50,000 fine.
But Ferdinand returned with a bang and has since established himself as a first-choice England international and Man United central defender. He has won the Premier League six times with United and has also won the UEFA Champions League and the FIFA Club World Cup.
Ferdinand made his international debut for England on November 15, 1997 against Cameroon when he was only 19 years and 8 days of age. He featured for his nation at the 2002 and 2006 and 2010 World Cup finals. He featured in 81 international matches for his country, scoring three goals in the process, before retiring in May 2013.
