Rio Ferdinand, born on 8 November 1978 in Peckham, South London, is an England international Football player. His usual position is central defence.

He signed as schoolboy for West Ham United F.C. in 1992 and became a professional player under youth training scheme and is likened to the late Bobby Moore, the former West Ham and England captain. He made his first team debut on 5 May 1996 as a substitute in 1-1 home draw against Sheffield Wednesday F.C. He earned his full England cap as a substitute in a friendly against Cameroon in 1998.

He joined Premier League football club Leeds United F.C. on November 2000 for £18 million, then a British record. In August 2001, he became the captain of Leeds.

On 22 July 2002, Ferdinand joined another Premier League football club Manchester United on a £30 million fee with a five year deal to become the most expensive British footballer in history.

The Duran Duran song "Rio" has been used in football chants both for and against Ferdinand; in fact in 2002, fan Simon Le Bon (Duran Duran's lead singer) promised to re-record one of the football chants if the team won. (They didn't.)

Drug test controversy

In 2003 he failed to attend a drugs test, claiming he had forgotten because he was preoccupied with moving house. The FA imposed an eight month ban from January 2004 at club and international level, meaning he would miss the rest of the league season and some of the next along with all of Euro 2004. Manchester United's appeals to have the ban reduced were turned down. John Terry replaced him in the England side until his return on 9 October 2004 in their World Cup qualifier against Wales.

The Rio Ferdinand drugs test saga has caused a huge debate over how footballers found guilty of drug offences (failing or missing tests) should be treated. One of Manchester United's reasons for appealing against the ban was that a Manchester City player had also missed a drugs test but escaped with just a £2,000 fine. Several seasons earlier, Ipswich midfielder Adam Tanner had been banned for just three months after failing a drugs test. In March 1995, Chris Armstrong had become the first Premiership footballer to fail a drugs test yet had returned to the game within a month after attending a brief rehab programme.