Rio Ferdinand

Rio Gavin Ferdinand was born 7 November 1978 and came through West Ham's academy, making his Premier League debut in 1996 and winning Hammer of the Year a season later. At 19 he became England's youngest-ever defender in a 1997 match against Cameroon. Leeds paid £18 million for him in 2000 - a British record - and made him captain a year later, but Manchester United broke the record again in July 2002 with a £30 million deal. He won the league in his first season, then in September 2003 missed a drugs test and sat out eight months, losing half a campaign, a cup final, and Euro 2004. When he returned he made the PFA Team of the Year four times in five years, won five more league titles, and lifted the Champions League in 2008. His contract ran out in 2014; he spent one season at Queens Park Rangers, was relegated, and retired on 30 May 2015. In 2017 he announced plans to box professionally, in part to cope with his wife's death.