Rio Ferdinand

The Manchester United and England star footballer Rio Ferdinand retired from football in 2015. He is one of the legends of the English national football team. He capped 81 times for the England national team from 1997-2011 and was a member of a three FIFA World Cup squads. He played as a center back winger and became England’s second most capped black player behind Ashley Coley with 107.

From 2002-14, he played for the English football club Manchester United. During his tenure with Manchester United, he made to win six premier league titles. In 2014, he moved to Queens Park Rangers. He spent one season there and retired from his playing career in 2015.

Early Life And Education Of Rio Ferdinand

Rio Ferdinand was born on November 7, 1978, in London England to Julian and Janice Ferdinand. He holds the English nationality and belongs to Caucasian ethnicity/race. Ferdinand has a brother named Anton who also plays professional football (soccer).

Ferdinand grew up in a large family at Peckham, and when he was just 14-year-old, his parents separated. His father remained close to him and took him to football training at local parks. He attended Blackheath Bluecoat School and then shifted to study at the Central school of ballet when he was 11 years old.

Rio Ferdinand's Career

Ferdinand entered in the field of sports and progressed through the youth team ranks, earning a professional contract. He made his senior team debut after he was taken as a substitute for Tony Cottee. He was forced to serve an eight-month playing ban for missing a routine drugs test in 2004.

Ferdinand joined Manchester United from Leeds United for a British Record fee of $29 million and supported Liverpool as a boy. He won a League cup in 2006. Further, he was considered an atypical defensive product of  English Football due to his continental style of defensive play.

Rio Ferdinand's Club Career

West Ham United

Ferdinand progressed through the youth team ranks where he earned a professional contract and a place in the first team squad in the process. The team was scouted by Frank Lampard.

Leeds United

Ferdinand joined the club in November 2000 for £18 million. Although it was an uncomfortable start to his career at Elland Road he made 3-1 defeat at Leicester City on his debut.

Manchester United

In July 2002, Ferdinand joined the Premier League side Manchester United on a five-year deal in order to be the most expensive British footballer in the history. He went on to win the Premier League title with Manchester United in his first season at the club.

In 2005 in a game against Wigan Athletic he was able to score his first goal for Manchester en route to a 4-0 victory. The following season he scored again 2-0 against Liverpool. He retired from his playing career in 2015. 

Rio Ferdinand's International Football Career

The artistic player was capped 81 times for England making him England's second most capped black player behind Ashley Cole with 107. He scored three goals for England where the first one was enrolled in the 2002 World Cup second round match against Denmark. The second was one against Russia and the third in 2010 FIFA World Cup.

When he was 19 years old he was able to win the first full England cap as a substitute in a friendly against Cameroon in November 1997. Despite playing several games he was left out of Roy Hodgson's squad for Euro 2012 and was recalled on 14 March 2013 for the first time under Hodgson for England's 2014 World Cup qualifiers opposite Montenegro and San Marino.

In 2013, Ferdinand announced his retirement from international football explaining it the right time to make room for young players.

Net Worth

Rio Ferdinand is living a luxurious life with his three children. His net worth is reported to be around $75 million.

Rio Ferdinand's Personal Life

Rio Ferdinand is a widower. He was married to his then-girlfriend Rebecca Ellison from 2009-14. In the late 1990s, he met a former fitness trainer Rebecca Ellison while he was playing at West Ham. The duo kept their relationship secret for several years before giving birth to their first son Lorenz in July 2006.

They welcomed their second son Tate Ferdinand in August 2008. Following year, the couple tied their knot in June 2009. Ferdinand and Ellison gave a birth to their third child, a daughter named Tia Ferdinand in April 2011.

Ferdinand and his wife were one of the cutest couples in the English football arena. Unfortunately, in May 2015, she pa s sed away after a short battle with breast cancer. She kept her illness private after being diagnosed in 2014 and receiving treatment.

After her death, he confirmed his beloved wife’s death in a heartbreaking statement which filled with his tears, love and affections:

If I was able to have one more minute with Rebecca, I’d probably, well I’d definitely, ask her about what she wanted with the children growing up at different stages, poignant moments in their development.

He added that she guided and inspired him throughout the years and she would live in his memory forever. 

He mourned her death for few months and he began raising his kids alone. Later, he met Kate Wright and started dating her. The pair kept their romance away from the spotlight for several months.

In July 2017, she was seen with Ferdinand and his children. She also joined his sister Sian to compete in Race For Life in July after his mother pa s sed away from cancer. According to The Sun, she quitted her showbiz life to become a full time to his three children.

In May 2018, Ferdinand paid tribute to his former wife Rebecca Ellison in his emotional acceptance at The Royal Festival Hall in London after winning a British Academy Television Award for a doc u mentary film Rio Ferdinand: Being Mum and Dad he made about her.

During there, he also thanked his current girlfriend Kate Wright for her supporting him in making this movie and caring he and his children. His film which aired on BBC One in Jun 2017 which depicted the difficulties of being a single parent to his three children following the death of his wife.

He has three children with his wife, Rebecca. His children are named Lorenz, Tate, and  Tia.  He stayed strong and hopeful for his children's happiness. 

However, days later Ferdinand met Kate Wright and started spending time with her. They used to spend quality time together, but the couple denied to accept their relationship. They flashed out their relationship status to the public only when they were seen together catching each other's hand and roaming.

Kate and Rio were happy together. He is supported by Kate at all his difficulties. Rio's mother also died due to cancer when she was 58 years old. Recently, Rio is in his mid-forties, and Kate is just  26 in age.