Rio Ferdinand

97

Rio Ferdinand : biography

7 November 1978 –

Statistics accurate as of match played 28 April 2013

International

England national team
Year Apps Goals
1997 1 0
1998 4 0
1999 3 0
2000 2 0
2001 9 0
2002 9 1
2003 5 0
2004 3 0
2005 8 0
2006 12 0
2007 8 1
2008 8 1
2009 4 0
2010 4 0
2011 1 0
Total 81 3

Statistics updated 16 March 2013

Senior career

West Ham United

Originally scouted by Frank Lampard Sr., Ferdinand progressed through the youth team ranks, earning a professional contract and a place in the first team squad in the process. On 5 May 1996, Ferdinand made his senior team debut, as he came on as a substitute for Tony Cottee in the Hammers’ last game of the season, a 1–1 home draw against Sheffield Wednesday. In the 1997–98 season, Ferdinand won the Hammer of the Year award at the young age of 19.

Leeds United

Ferdinand joined Premier League club Leeds United in November 2000 for £18 million, then a British transfer record as well as becoming the world’s most expensive defender. Despite an uncomfortable start to his career at Elland Road, beginning with a 3–1 defeat at Leicester CIty on his debut, Ferdinand settled well and became an integral part of the Leeds team that reached the semi-final stage of the UEFA Champions League, scoring with a header in the quarter-final against Spain’s Deportivo La Coruña. Other highlights during his spell in Yorkshire included goals against Liverpool at Anfield and a scoring return to Upton Park.

The following season, in August 2001, he became the club captain after replacing Lucas Radebe and turned in an impressive second campaign, despite Leeds’ failure to break into the top four and secure qualification for the competition they had figured in so prominently during the previous season. During the 2002 FIFA World Cup, rumours began circulating that the club were in dire financial trouble and that new manager Terry Venables would be forced to part with his star defender for a substantial amount of cash. Later that summer after Ferdinand’s impressive World Cup for England, Leeds accepted a bid of £29.1 million due to their perilous financial position.

Manchester United

2002–2007

On 22 July 2002, Ferdinand joined fellow Premier League side Manchester United on a five-year deal to become the most expensive British footballer in history at the time and the world’s most expensive defender for a second time, a title he had lost in 2001 to Lilian Thuram. The fee included a basic element in the high £20 millions, and some conditional elements, which allowed Leeds to tell their fans that they were selling him for over £30 million. Leeds United later took a single payment in place of all the contingent elements when they were desperate for cash during their financial crisis. The final book value of Ferdinand’s contract in Manchester United’s accounts was £34 million. This included agents’ fees, with Leeds receiving just under £30 million. Ferdinand went on to win the Premier League title with Manchester United in his first season at the club. He has also collected a winner’s medal in the 2006 League Cup, with runners-up medals in the 2003 League Cup and the 2005 FA Cup.

In September 2003, he failed to attend a drug test scheduled to take place at United’s Carrington training ground. Ferdinand had left after training to go shopping, only to remember and attempt to return, only to be told it was too late. He did undergo testing the following day and passed, and also offered to have a hair follicle test, which would provide results for the previous six months, but the FA turned down the offer.. UEFA.com 19 December 2003. Retrieved on 24 April 2013.. Manchester Evening News. 13 August 2004. Retrieved on 24 April 2013. The FA Disciplinary Committee chaired by Barry Bright imposed an eight-month ban from January 2004 at club and international level and a £50,000 fine, meaning he would miss the rest of the season and some of the next along with all of Euro 2004. Manchester United appealed against the verdict and sought to draw parallels to the case of Manchester City player Christian Negouai, who was fined £2,000 for missing a test. However, FIFA president Sepp Blatter stated that such comparisons are inappropriate due to differences between the two cases. Negouai had been stuck in traffic and was willing to take the test, while Ferdinand was charged with "failure or refusal" to attend the test. Both the FA and FIFA sought to have the ban increased to 12 months (half the possible maximum). In the end, the original verdict was upheld.