The magnificent story of Rio Ferdinand! 👇 (1 Viewer)

[Martin Hare]

Rio Ferdinand was part of one of the best stopper duos in football history. Under Sir Alex Ferguson, he helped Manchester United conquer not only England but also Europe. He has rightly become a member of the Premier League Hall of Fame. But what is his story?

Ferdinand went from ballet and gymnastics to the Premier League​

When he was young, he took up ballet and gymnastics. He even went to one of the best ballet schools in England. He didn’t get into football until he was 10. Today, we know him as one of the best defenders not only of his time.

Rio Ferdinand has had a phenomenal career. “I have no doubt that ballet and gymnastics influenced the way I played. I had no problem with balance, concentration, strength or agility,” the Manchester United legend expressed in the PL Stories series.

As a native of London, he made his way to West Ham. Quite early on, he also made his way into the A-team thanks to a loan spell at Bournemouth and made a very good name for himself. There was a lot of interest in him and in 2000 he saw a transfer to a then more prestigious address.

Twice the most expensive defender in history​

Rio Ferdinand was bought from West Ham for around €26 million by Leeds United, who made the English footballer the most expensive defender in history for the first time in his career. Ferdinand also had an offer from ambitious Chelsea.

“I couldn’t believe the price Leeds spent for me. And why did I refuse Chelsea? I couldn’t stay in London. I was enjoying the nightlife too much and then Leeds came calling. Perfect timing,” Ferdinand revealed.

Three months later, Ferdinand became captain of his new team. But he didn’t last long at Leeds. The club had financial problems and after two years at Elland Road, the then 23-year-old stopper moved to Manchester United, his hated rival at Old Trafford.

Like Leeds two years earlier, Manchester United made Ferdinand the most expensive defender in history, this time coming out at €46 million.

“I came for a big amount again, I was under huge pressure. Suddenly I was sitting in the dressing room next to players like Roy Keane, Paul Scholes, David Beckham, Ruud van Nistelrooy. Just wow. They won a lot, I didn’t win anything. I had a lot of respect from the first training session. I hadto show everybody that I was up to it,” recalls the now Red Devils icon.

He didn’t wait long for his first trophy in Manchester. In his first season, he could already enjoy his first league title. But would he have been the happiest ever? No, it wasn’t. He didn’t feel he had a major stake in the title, he didn’t think the team could win the Premier League without him.

But in subsequent seasons, it was a different story. Ferdinand became a key figure in Manchester United’s new era. His style of play was excellent, he polished it properly and was timeless.

Full article on Ruiksport.com