Rio Ferdinand forced to use wheelchair with ‘mad’ pain as injuries catch up | Football | Sport

Years playing football for England and Manchester United has left Rio Ferdinand requiring a wheelchair at times. The impact of the former defender’s lengthy and distinguished career resulted in serious injuries, and he still finds himself needing hospital treatment more than a decade after hanging up his boots. Now 47, Ferdinand told Men’s Health UK: “I’ve had a bad back for a long time. I’ve got injuries that I had from my career…I was on tablets and injections for six years to play games.

“That’s affected me. I get some bad moments of back pain where I have to be in a hospital for a couple of days or in a wheelchair for a couple of days. It’s mad, but it just comes out of nowhere.” Ferdinand and his family now reside in Dubai, which he describes as a fresh “adventure”, and he’s discovered new methods to better maintain his physical condition. “I’ve been seeing a physio for the first time since I retired,” he disclosed.

“He’s been doing loads of manipulations and whatnot, and within his building there’s also my personal trainer, so he feeds him information about my training. There’s a holistic approach to what I’m doing now and hopefully that’s going to put me in good stead. Rather than fixing when it’s broken, you actually prevent [injuries]. I know my sh*t now. But I’m 47 years old. It took me all that time.”

With 14 major honours to his name, including six Premier League titles, Ferdinand could probably put his feet up now. Nevertheless, it remains vital to him to inspire his children.

He explained: “I’ve got kids that need to see a work ethic. My kids need to see me getting up and going to work. They need to see me and [my wife] Kate going to the gym. I want them to have a healthy lifestyle and to think that going to the gym or just moving is the norm.

“And I’m not about telling my kids that; they need to see it. But also, if I’m being honest, I have to go to work for my mental sanity as well. I like work; my mum and dad worked. They were grafters. That’s all I’ve known. When my kids talk about me, as much as it is, yeah, ‘Daddy loves me’ and ‘Daddy’s done everything for me.’ It’s ‘Daddy worked hard. He was a hustler.’ You know what I mean?”

Living in Dubai with wife Kate and the family represents a completely different way of life from the demands of football training in Manchester.

He acknowledged: “My life has been governed by the fixture list while playing football and then, post-career, being a pundit. There aren’t many opportunities in life where you get time to make a big change, have an adventure, step out of your comfort zone and explore something new. So this is it. This is what we wanted to do.”

Last year Rio departed TNT Sports and launched his own YouTube channel, Rio Ferdinand Presents, which is focused on challenging himself beyond his comfort zone. “I like being tested. I like pressure,” he continued.

“I had it fine at TNT. I could have signed a new contract at TNT. Easily. But that ain’t who I am really. It’s time for something new….Because I saw the new world is that linear TV and live football are always going to be there.

“But there’s also another world outside the 90 minutes that intrigues me, which I look at like a fan. So I want to know what these guys are eating, how do they sleep, how do they recover? I want to get the public closer to that and I want to be at the forefront of that.”

Rio the footballer will forever remain a legend among Manchester United supporters, but Rio the man beyond football remains a work in progress.

“[I want to be remembered] as someone who worked hard and has been successful in multiple sectors,” he reflected. “Whether it’s my [Rio Ferdinand] Foundation, which has been going for 15 years, helping underprivileged kids, or whether it’s my [Rio Ferdinand Presents] media company or other successful businesses that I’ve got.

“I just want to be someone who is a doer…who ain’t scared of change or failure. Who always stood up for the right things when need be. And if I can inspire other people doing that type of stuff, then it’s like, ‘Okay, I’ve done all right.'”