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Rio Ferdinand

Rio Ferdinand retires

May 30, 2015

As expected, Rio Ferdinand has confirmed that he has retired from playing football.

Scott Patterson

Scott is the editor of RoM and has a season ticket at Old Trafford. He started The Republik of Mancunia in March 2006. Follow @R_o_M on Twitter or @R_o_M7 on Instagram.

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13 Comments

dannysoya LOVES USAIN BOLT May 30, 2015

How I wish we could have a defender of Rio's calibre in this present team. One of the greatest defenders I have ever seen in his prime. It was near impossible to get past him in his prime and there were no slouches in his era either. Stood tall with the likes of Hierro, Helguera, Couto, Puyol, Maldini, Terry, Vidic, Carvalho, Cannavaro, Keown, Adams etc. Cool, calm and collected almost all the time and rarely picked up stupid yellow cards. One of the game's greatest without a doubt.

And he wasn't someone that could be faulted for not giving the club his all. Served it well for 10 years.

Wish him all the best in retirement. United Legend.

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Cyrus Mirzashafa May 30, 2015

Rio! Rio!

I hope Van Gal continues his tradition of fulling the club with ex players, much like he did with Bayen and Barca..... Would be great to have Rio on the coaching team with the kids. Imagine that.

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United24 May 30, 2015

My favorite United defender of all time( those I have seen play)!
One of the reasons for our premier league dominance.
We could have nicked at least 1-2 more European Cups, in his era, but for nature's production of a certain Messi....

Will love to see him back at the club in some capacity.

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Mark Reid May 30, 2015

He was great already extolled his virtues on other story.But yeah love to see him at some level what a footballer simple as.

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RedRickie May 30, 2015

Great footballer, Great United servant as well, and like every one says hope to see him within Manchester at some point.
Sometimes you get rewarded for being loyal, if only Kean could conduct him self

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wayne barker May 30, 2015

read a month or so ago that Utd were going to approach him about becoming a coach,LVG wants to build up a coaching staff with ex players

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RedRickie May 30, 2015

Wayne
I remember Fergie saying something of that similar, likening it to foundation within Bayern Munchen

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wayne barker May 30, 2015

Red that's the way it should be mate,keeps the History,tradition and the Utd way alive and all those lads are winners

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AntiScouser May 30, 2015

Probably my favourite United defender of all time. Had balls and ball skills, neither of which the current crop can pride themselves with.

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NefariousVirtuoso88 May 30, 2015

Rio was a Rolls Royce but Vidic was better in my humble opinion.

... speaking about expensive defenders Laporte at Bilbao. I'm watching the Copa Del Rey final and his performance is lacking. The sign a foreign expensive central brigade annoy me.

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Umeweni Ifeanyi May 30, 2015

His fouls conceded stats are amazing

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Mirainashe May 31, 2015

I remember I think it was Ferguson's final season. It was definitely the second half of the season away I think at West Ham or Villa. I have a mental picture just can't remember. Rio conceded a very very harsh penalty. My details could be a bit wrong but the commentators said the irony is this is Rio Ferdinand's first foul the whole season. Who does that? That's just crazy. A central defender who does not commit fouls. My top three defenders ever are Rio Ferdinand,Rafael Marquez and Alessandro Nesta. They played so smart they didn't need to have any physical contact with opposition players. They would just "repossess" a football as if it's the easiest thing ever. Unfortunately, the John Terry(excellent defender by the way) get more attention because of their more visible style. For me technical players are superior to primarily athletic players. That's why I've always rated Rio ahead of Vidic. It's much harder to anticipate play before it happens and have the technical ability to pull off a recovery of the ball effortlessly. Rio in his prime would have been Van Gaal's first choice defender no doubt. Same reason I rate Carrick so highly amongst United's midfield players past and present that I saw playing. I'd honestly have him as the second most influential after Paul Scholes(midfielders I saw. And yes I know Roy Keane). You don't get blood and guts from him. You get efficiency and results. Rio you'd only really notice when he slips up (which was rare) and that would be magnified but Vidic would concede penalties and get red cards and be praised for being a warrior, which he was,but those slip ups were worse. Not dissing Vida but treatment differs and tends to favor the more visible. They worked well as a pair and to me were one of United's best centre back pairings ever. Individually they were measured with the very best out there. I hope we can find that kind of classy defender again soon. Also sad for the loss of his wife. He is too young to experience this and when I first saw it my heart felt very heavy. Don't know what the relationship was like but it's really hard so early in marriage. Hope he comes back stronger from it

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iamMatty June 1, 2015

Best Defender to ever wear the england national team jersey imo

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