Rio Ferdinand Biography
Saturday, August 7th, 2010Rio Gavin Ferdinand (born 7 November 1978) is an English footballer. He plays at centre back for Manchester United in the Premier League and in 2010, became captain of the England national team, though an injury received prior to that year’s World Cup forced him to be replaced by Steven Gerrard for the tournament. He has amassed 78 caps for England in total, and has been a member of three FIFA World Cup squads.
Known for his composure on the ball, 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 record-breaking fee of £18 million. He spent two seasons at the club, becoming the team captain in 2001.