Rio Ferdinand's life now with luxury move abroad, famous wife and 'health scare'
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Rio Ferdinand has hung up his hat as a pundit on TNT Sports after the Champions League final, closing a chapter of ten years with the broadcaster. Despite being offered a fresh contract months ago, the ex-Manchester United and England star chose not to renew, earlier announcing it was a "difficult" decision to leave.
In his farewell note reported by Wales Online, Ferdinand extended his thanks for the chance to talk football over the last decade, tipping his hat to the behind-the-scenes crew essential for their triumphs.
"I want to acknowledge the tremendous support from the team behind the scenes whose hard work often goes unseen but has been essential to our success. To everyone at TNT Sports, we have a brilliant end to the season to look forward to on Saturday and for now all focus will be on what I think could go down as one of the great European finals," Ferdinand remarked.
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He added, "The network continues to thrive with more rights than ever. I know I look forward to following its progress and the exciting future that lies ahead."
Ferdinand also took a moment to thank his family and New Era, his management firm, for their steadfast support as he travelled across Europe to follow top-tier players and matches, reports the Manchester Evening News.
The 46 year old's decision comes after months of speculation about his potential departure from the broadcaster at the end of the season, with rumours hinting at a move abroad with his wife, Kate.
Initial whispers suggested that Ferdinand, who has played for United, West Ham, Leeds, and QPR, might be eyeing opportunities in the United States ahead of the 2026 World Cup. However, later reports indicated that he and his wife, a former The Only Way is Essex star, were contemplating a move to Dubai, where they first crossed paths through mutual friends nearly ten years ago.
Earlier this year, it was reported that the couple had started looking into properties and schools in Dubai, having decided that the time was right for them and their family to make the move.
Ferdinand and his wife share two children, and Kate also plays the role of stepmother to his three children from his previous marriage to Rebecca Ellison, who sadly passed away from cancer in 2015.
While Ferdinand has not publicly announced his next career move, it is thought that a potential relocation to the United Arab Emirates would involve regular travel between the UAE and the UK to meet work commitments. Kate is the founder of the online platform Blended.
This news follows a health scare that forced him to miss out on covering key European football matches.
Ferdinand was poised to cover Arsenal's Champions League match against PSG and lend his expert insights for United's Europa League semi-final with Athletic Bilbao but was instead hospitalised due to a crippling virus.
Speaking candidly on 'Rio Ferdinand Presents', he recounted the harrowing experience that left him in fear for his life, battling severe migraines, vertigo, and extreme vomiting.
"I had a mad virus," shared Ferdinand. "I thought lights were out at some point, I thought it was gonna happen. I thought I was minutes away from lights out, seriously."
In narrating the terrible incident, he explained, "I was in my house, I was in my bed like this [pained expression] and I couldn't even open my eyes. Then, the headache I had... I don't get migraines or nothing else so I don't know what they're like. I thought my head was in a vice and my eyes were going to pop out.
"Then, I was being sick, projectile vomiting in the toilet, I got back to bed and I was having vertigo," he added, "I was holding onto the sheets, I didn't know where I was. It was crazy."
The situation took an alarming turn as medical professionals considered a brain scan, following Ferdinand's earlier offer of an ambulance to expedite his journey to the hospital.
"I had to go to hospital and the doctor even said to me, 'Do you want an ambulance?' So that's when I knew," he disclosed. "He went, 'We're going to get your brain scanned'. I thought it was a virus or a flu or something so when he mentioned brain scan and the ambulance, the panic was nuts.
"I went to hospital and I was in there for a few days. I couldn't even enjoy the hospital food. The soup and the ice cream normally does wonders."
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