Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has announced his retirement from playing football at the age of 36.
Ferdinand announced his decision to retire in a statement in which he reserved special gratitude to Sir Alex Ferguson, who he describes as “a genius”.
Ferdinand spent 12 years at Old Trafford where he became one of the most revered centre-backs in United’s history.
He made 455 Reds appearances, scored eight goals and won six Premier League titles, one European Cup, a FIFA Club World Cup and two League Cups. He left in May 2014 to join Queens Park Rangers.
“After 18 years as a professional footballer I now feel it’s the right time for me to retire from the game that I love,” Ferdinand said. “As a 12-year-old boy, kicking around a football on the Friary Estate in Peckham, I never dreamt that I would play for my boyhood club West Ham, captain Leeds, win the Champions League with Manchester United, or re-join my first manager Harry Redknapp at QPR.
“I will always regard the 81 times that I played for England with immense pride. These are all treasured memories that will last a lifetime.
“Starting a career, every young man needs mentors. I found mine in Dave Goodwin, the District Manager at Blackheath, and Tony Carr, the Youth Team Manager at West Ham. They instilled in me personality traits that lasted throughout my career. I will always be grateful to them in
my career, all the backroom staff who looked after me over the years, and the players I played with. I would also like to thank the team who managed me off the pitch, Jamie Moralee and everybody at New Era.
“Winning trophies over my 12 years at Manchester United allowed me to achieve everything I desired in football. From a young child to today, that was all I cared about. None of that would have been possible, without the genius of one man, Sir Alex Ferguson.
“His greatest accomplishment in my eyes will always be how he developed us as men, not just as footballers. He will, in my opinion, always be the greatest manager in British football history.
“I’d also like to thank and pay tribute to my late wife Rebecca and my family, including my mother and father, for their sacrifices, their encouragement and their advice throughout my career.
“And finally, I’d like to thank all the fans from all the clubs [I played for], for without them professional football would not exist. I will miss each and every one of you on my Saturday afternoons.”
Everyone at Manchester United would like to thank Rio for his outstanding service to the club and to football, and we wish him all the best in his retirement.
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