Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has revealed the lasting impact of his football career with the former defender, which at times required hospitalisation.
Rio Ferdinand says he sometimes needs to use a wheelchair (Image: Andrew Kearns – CameraSport via Getty Images)
Rio Ferdinand has been playing soccer for many years and sometimes requires a wheelchair. The Manchester United defender’s long and successful career has been punctuated by serious injuries that keep him hospitalized more than a decade after his retirement.
Former England centre-back Ferdinand, 47, told Men’s Health UK: “I’ve had lower back pain for a long time. I’ve had injuries in my career… I’ve been on pills and injections for six years to play the game and that’s affected me. There are times when I have bad back pain and I end up in hospital for a few days, sometimes I have to be in a wheelchair for a few days. It’s frustrating, but it happens out of the blue.”
Ferdinand and his family currently live in Dubai, which he describes as a new “adventure” and learning new techniques to better maintain his body. “This was my first visit to a physical therapist since I retired,” he revealed.
“He does a lot of chiropractic and stuff, and he also has my personal trainer in his building, and he gives me information about my training. There’s a holistic approach to what I’m doing now, and I hope that gets me in good shape. I can actually prevent (injuries) instead of fixing them when they’re broken. I know my shit now. But I’m 47 years old. It’s taken me that long.”
Ferdinand, who has won 14 major honours, including six Premier League titles, could easily make a comeback now. But inspiring children remains important to him. He explained: “I have kids who need to understand the work ethic.
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“My kids need to see me get up and go to work. They need to see me and[my wife]Kate go to the gym. I want my kids to live a healthy lifestyle and feel that going to the gym and just moving is normal.”
“I’m not going to tell my kids that. They need to see that. But honestly, for my mental health, I have to go to work. I love working. My mom and dad worked. They were grafters. That’s all I know.”
“When my kids talk about me, it’s just as much, ‘Daddy loves me,’ ‘Daddy did everything for me.’ It’s, ‘Daddy did his best.’ He was a hustler. “you know what i mean? “
Rio Ferdinand and wife Kate (Image: Getty Images for Atlantis The Ro)
Ferdinand previously worked as a pundit for TNT Sports, but left the channel last year (Image: James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images)
Living in Dubai with his wife Kate and family offers a completely different lifestyle to his rigorous football training in Manchester. “My life has been dominated by the match list while playing football and as a pundit after my career,” he explained.
“It’s not often in life that you have the 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.”
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Last year, Ferdinand quit TNT Sports and launched his own YouTube channel, Rio Ferdinand Presents. “I like being tested. I like pressure,” he continued.
“I was doing well at TNT. I could have signed a new contract at TNT. It would be easy. But that’s not who I really am. It’s time to do something new, because I saw a new world where linear TV and live football are always there.”
“But outside of the 90 minutes, there’s another world that’s intriguing to me, and I watch it like a fan. So I want to know what they’re eating, how they’re sleeping, how they’re recovering. I want to bring the public closer to that, and I want to be at the forefront of that.”
Ferdinand’s legendary status among United supporters has been cemented since his playing days, but his journey beyond the pitch continues. “(I) want to be remembered as someone who worked hard and was successful in multiple areas,” he reflected.
“Whether it’s my (Rio Ferdinand) Foundation, which helps underprivileged children, which has been going for 15 years, or my (Rio Ferdinand Presents) media company or any other successful business. I just want to be a person of action… someone who is not afraid of change and failure. Someone who always stands up for what’s right when it’s needed. And if I can inspire others who are doing that kind of work, it’s like, ‘Okay, we did everything well.’
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