Rio Ferdinand was one of his generation's most talented and successful footballers.
South London born and raised, he is part of a famous football
family; his brother Anton had a decent career and his
cousin Les was one of the 1990's most dangerous strikers.
As a youngster, he attracted plenty of attention, with his youth coach and mentor Dave Goodwin
giving him the nickname "Pele" thanks to his level of ability.
He trained with Queens Park Rangers, Milwall, Charlton, Chelsea and, confusingly,
Middlesbrough, before signing up with West Ham
United.
Before he committed to football, though, he famously trained as a ballet dancer, something
he credits with improving his flexibility and
balance, two crucial aspects of his skill set as the definitive
Rolls-Royce defender of his generation.
At West Ham he served his apprenticeship in an academy which also produced Frank Lampard,
Joe Cole and Michael Carrick around the same time—an
incredible fertile ground for development.
The Hammers' manager, Harry Redknapp, was fully prepared to back his young talents,
putting them in the first team as soon as they were ready.
Thus, at just 19 years old, Ferdinand had become a
regular and was included in the 1998 World Cup squad, an unused substitute for whom Glenn
Hoddle had big long-term plans.
Ferdinand is the first to admit that he was happy to seize on the opportunities for distraction
that presented themselves to a young footballer
who had never really had money before.
He had a well- earned reputation for enjoying the fruits
of his labours off the pitch.
But then came the moment which changed the direction of his career
for the better—his £18m move to Leeds United in 2000.
He credits his leaving London as a turning point.
As he told the Guardian in 2008, 'I had time to sit and reflect and think,
"If I don't knuckle down now, when will I and what will I
achieve?"'
Knuckle down he did.
By the time the 2002 World Cup came around, he had made himself a key part
of the side.
Leeds United had reached the semi-finals of the Champions League and Ferdinand's
reputation was growing.
The partnership he formed with Sol Campbell was one of the best things
about the England side, and BBC pundits discussed whether Ferdinand now belonged in the "World
Class" bracket.
In the aftermath of that tournament, as Leeds' financial mismanagement caught up with them,
Ferdinand made the defining move of his career, signed for £30m by Sir Alex Ferguson and
Manchester United.
The rest was history.
Between 2002 and 2014 he played 455 times for the Red
Devils, of which 444 were starts.
Only 18 men have made more appearances in total, only 15 have
featured in more starting XIs.
He won six Premier League titles, two League Cups, a Champions League title which he lifted
as captain and the FIFA World Cup
When he got to United, he recognised he would have to step up his game.
He later told four-four- two:
"The most nerve-wracking time was the first training session.
We’re playing a piggy in the middle- type game and I could hear Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
saying “How much?
Thirty million?
What?!”
I would have expected that from Keano or Butty, but
not him."​ He won his first Premier League title in his
first season, but what followed was his toughest time at
the club.
He was banned for eight months following a missed drugs test—he was out buying sheets
for his new home when the testers called.
Sir Alex always maintained the punishment was harsh, as a
high-profile United player was made an example of.
Comparisons with other similar cases bear this
theory out to some degree.
He missed Euro 2004 because of the ban, but returned to make the Premier League team of
the year for the second time in 2004/05, one of six
appearances.
Then in January 2006--as United were on their way to reclaiming the Premier League
title for the first time in three years—another defining
moment in his career occurred as Ferguson signed Nemanja Vidic.
Ferdinand specialised in partnerships, making whoever played alongside him look better thanks
to his brilliant organisation and communication
skills, but Vidic was the ying to his yang, and between
them they forged the best defensive partnership United had seen since Bruce and Pallister.
Rio was the proto-typical clean-shorts defender, all
timing and interceptions, going months and months at a
stretch without so much as a yellow card.
In fact, in 312 league appearances for the club he
committed a total of just 68 fouls.
Vidic, it is fair to say, took a different approach.
One last controversy remained.
During contract talks he was pictured dining with his agent and then
Chelsea Chief Executive Peter Kenyon.
A militant group of United supporters the "Men In Black"
turned up at Ferdinand's house and suggested he should sign a new deal.
He did, but he probably would have anyway.
He had his best season in 2007/08, as United won the League and Champions League double.
He and Vidic protected Edwin van der Sar brilliantly.
Alan Hansen said "'This season all the plaudits have
gone to Cristiano Ronaldo, but... when the going has been tough, Ferdinand has performed
better than anybody.'
He turned 30 during the subsequent campaign and Sir Alex started to protect him, rotating
him and calling on him when he really needed his brilliance.
When David Moyes arrived in 2013 he played Ferdinand in the first six competitive games
in a row.
Every United fan knew what would follow— Ferdinand's engine needed much more careful
management by this point.
The inevitable injury followed and he left at the end of the campaign.
It was a shame, Louis van Gaal could probably have
used him.
Ferdinand played on for a season at Queens Park Rangers, though no one knew that in the
background he was enduring his life's worst moments as his wife Rebecca battled cancer,
dying in May 2015.
He retired in the wake of that tragedy and has since worked in football media, becoming
one of the game's most incisive pundits.
He has also proved to be a remarkable man, as if that proof were needed.
Knowing he was ill- equipped to help his children with the emotional
challenges they faced he has dedicated himself to
developing his own emotional insight, making a television programme and writing a book
about his struggles as a means to help others dealing
with similar issues, and as a means of learning the
complex lessons he now needed to learn.
That drive for self-improvement should come as no surprise.
It was what defined him as a player, always growing.
He became as better and better, polishing the cracks out of his game, cutting out the
mistakes and becoming one of the finest players of his generation.
He won pretty much everything there was to win, proving he had the substance
to match his superb style.