Oh Rio

Rio Ferdinand has established himself as one of the world's top defenders. He burst onto the pitch at the young age of seventeen at West Ham, playing alongside other budding talents Frank Lampard and Joe Cole. During his time with the Hammers, the young Ferdinand was honoured to be compared to 1966 World Cup hero Sir Bobby Moore, and it wasn't long before he was picked to represent England himself. Ferdinand quickly became a player in demand, and during his time at Leeds United, Rio played a pivotal role in England's 2002 World Cup campaign. His performances on the world stage transformed Ferdinand from a budding talent to a fully accomplished international star. As his reputation soared, so too did his value on the transfer market, and in the summer of 2002, Manchester United signed the defender with a world-record fee for a defensive player. The path to footballing glory hasn't always been that smooth though - as a young boy, his schoolmate Stephen Lawrence was murdered, then in later years his reputation was blackened by drink-driving shame, and an outrageous holiday in Cyprus. In 2004, his career faced the ultimate test - having missed a routine drugs test, Ferdinand was banned from professional football for eight months. He came back stronger than ever before though, and this book covers the highs and the lows of his illustrious career.