EntityQ483417· pop 73· linked from 741 articles

Rio Ferdinand

English association football player (born 1978)

AI overview

Rio Ferdinand is an English footballer born in 1978 who played as a defender during his professional career. He is notable as one of England's prominent football players from that era, though specific details about his career achievements and significance would require additional context.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Person · Open Library

Born: 1978-11-07
Works: 6

Top works

Beautiful Game
Thinking Out Loud
#2Sides
How to Coach a Soccer Team: Professional Advice on Building a Winning Team
Rio Ferdinand Autobiography

via Open Library + Wikidata

Film & TV

Acting · Camberwell, London, England, UK

Rio Gavin Ferdinand OBE (born 7 November 1978) is an English former professional footballer who played as a centre-back, and is now a television pundit for TNT Sports. He played 81 times for the England national team between 1997 and 2011, and was a member of three FIFA World Cup squads. He is one of the most decorated English footballers of all time, regarded by many as one of England's greatest…

Known for

England 2006: The Golden Generation — Self2026
Gavin & Stacey: A Fond Farewell — Self2025
Sir Alex — Self2025
Rylan: Homophobia, Football and Me2024
Super League: The War for Football — Self2023
Beckham — Self2023

Article

Rio Gavin Ferdinand (born 7 November 1978) is an English former professional footballer who played as a centre-back, and was a television pundit for TNT Sports, for ten years. He played 81 times for the England national team between 1997 and 2011, and was a member of three FIFA World Cup squads. He is one of the most decorated English footballers of all time, regarded by many as one of England's greatest ever defenders.

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, before he joined Manchester United in July 2002 for around £30 million, breaking the transfer fee record once more.