Rio Ferdinand Bio | Wiki
Rio Ferdinand is an English former professional footballer. He played as a center-back and is now a television pundit for BT Sport. Rio played 81 times for the England national team between 1997 and 2011 and was a member of three FIFA World Cup squads.
He is one of the most decorated English footballers of all time and is regarded by many as one of England’s greatest-ever players. He began his football career playing for various youth teams, finally settling at West Ham United.
Rio Ferdinand Age
Rio was born on November 7, 1978, in King’s College Hospital, London, United Kingdom. He is 43 years old.
Rio Ferdinand Height
He is a man of tall stature and stands at a height of 6 ft 2 in (Approx. 1.89 m).
Rio Ferdinand Parents | Father
He was born at King’s College Hospital in Camberwell and raised in Peckham by his parents Janice Lavender and Julian Ferdinand. Rio’s mother is Irish while his father is Afro-Saint Lucian. He grew up in Peckham in a large family, his mother was one of six children and his father arrived in Britain with ten other family members.
Rio’s 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. Rio’s father remained close, moving to a nearby estate, and took the kids to football training and to local parks. His siblings include Anton, Jeremiah, Remi, Sian St Fort, Anya, and Chloe.
Rio Ferdinand Brother
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. Rio’s brother, Anton, also played as a defender, while his cousins are Les and Kane. There was a court case involving John Terry and Rio’s brother Anton, in which Terry was found not guilty of racial abuse.
Rio Ferdinand First Wife
Rio’s then-girlfriend Rebecca Ellison gave birth to their first son in 2006. The couple had two more children. Ellison and Rio married in 2009. Sadly, Ellison died of breast cancer on 2 May 2015, aged 34. Rio’s memoir of his wife’s illness and subsequent bereavement, Thinking Out Loud, was co-written with Decca Aitkenhead, and published in October 2017.
Rio Ferdinand Wife
On September 27, 2019, he married for the second time, to Kate Wright. The ceremony was attended by his children, along with the couple’s other close family members. In June 2020, the couple announced that they were expecting their first child together, the child, a boy, was born on 18 December 2020. Rio’s children include Cree, Tate, Lorenz, and Tia.
Rio Ferdinand Education
He attended Camelot Primary School. At school, Rio focused on maths and reveled in the opportunity to perform before an audience during a school production of Bugsy Malone. He chose to attend Blackheath Bluecoat School to make new friends and settled in well, feeling his confidence growing.
He represented Southwark in gymnastics at the London Youth Games, by age 10 Rio had been invited to train at the Queen’s Park Rangers academy, and at age 11 he won a scholarship to attend the Central School of Ballet in London. Rio attended ballet classes, traveling to the city center four days a week for four years.
Rio Ferdinand BT Sports
In 2015, he joined BT Sport as a pundit for their coverage of the Premier League, FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, and UEFA Europa League. In March 2017, Rio discussed strategies for coping with bereavement in the BBC One documentary Rio Ferdinand: Being Mum and Dad. The program won the Robert Flaherty Award for Single Documentary at the 2018 BAFTA Awards.
Some of Rio’s colleagues at BT Sports include:
Laura Winter – presenter
Suzi Perry – presenter
Martin Bayfield – presenter
Ben Kay – commentator
Glenn Hoddle – pundit
Jules Breach – host
Rio Ferdinand Number | Stats
He played as a center-back and his stat follows
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1995–2000 West Ham United 127 (2)
1996–1997 → AFC Bournemouth 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
Rio Ferdinand Manchester United
Rio joined Manchester United in July 2002 for around £30 million, breaking the transfer fee record once more. At Manchester United, he won the Premier League, his first major club honor, in a successful first season at the club. In September 2003, he missed a drug test and was banned from football for eight months from January until September 2004.
This caused Rio 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. Rio’s 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.
Rio Ferdinand Leeds
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, before he joined Manchester United in July 2002.
Rio Ferdinand FIFA 22
Rio was a member of three FIFA World Cup squads. After an impressive 1997–98 season he was selected for the 1998 FIFA World Cup squad as a backup defender. However, he was not selected in Kevin Keegan’s 22-man squad for UEFA Euro 2000. He was selected as one of England’s two first-choice center-backs at the 2002 and 2006 FIFA World Cups, wearing the number 5 shirt.
Rio Ferdinand QPR
On July 17, 2014, he signed for the newly promoted Premier League club Queens Park Rangers on a one-year contract. Rio made only 12 appearances for QPR in his only season with the club. On May 30, 2015, he announced his retirement from professional football, three days after his departure from QPR
Rio Ferdinand Boxing
In September 2017, Rio announced that he was launching a career to become a professional boxer. His move into the ring became sponsored by betting company Betfair, who assisted him in attempting to qualify for his British Boxing Board of Control (BBBC) license before he began training and competing.
It was announced in May 2018 that Rio had been refused a professional boxing license by the British Boxing Board of Control. Following the rejection, Ferdinand announced that he was “hanging up his gloves”
Rio Ferdinand Net Worth
He earns his wealth from his career, therefore, he has amassed a fortune over the years. Rio’s estimated net worth is $75 million.
Who Is Rio Ferdinand
Rio is an English former professional footballer. He played as a center-back and is now a television pundit for BT Sport. He played 81 times for the England national team between 1997 and 2011 and was a member of three FIFA World Cup squads.