Rio Ferdinand's new life abroad with famous wife after TV exit and health scare

Wales Online

3 days ago

Rio Ferdinand's new life abroad with famous wife after TV exit and health scare
The former Manchester United defender is leaving his role as a TNT Sports pundit after the Champions League final
Ferdinand and his wife Kate are expected to leave the UK
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Rio Ferdinand will make his final appearance on TNT Sports at tonight's Champions League final as he bows out from the broadcaster after a decade as a pundit.
The former Manchester United and England defender is believed to have been offered a new contract by TNT bosses some months ago but he chose not to do so. Earlier this month, he confirmed that he will step away from his punditry role after Saturday night's clash between Inter Milan and PSG in Munich, describing it as a "difficult" decision.
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"After 10 incredible years, I have made the difficult decision to step away from TNT Sports after the Champions League final," he said in a statement. "Since retiring from football it has been a privilege talking about the game I love for a decade for sports fans watching on BT Sport and TNT Sports.
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"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.
"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," he added.
"Lastly I would like to thank my family and my management company New Era for their ongoing support. They have supported me to travel all over Europe following the best players and watching the best matches."
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The 46-year-old's decision comes after months of speculation that he would depart the broadcaster at the end of the season and leave the UK, with a move abroad alongside his wife Kate heavily rumoured.
It had been suggested that Ferdinand - who also represented West Ham, Leeds and QPR during his playing career - could go on to pursue opportunities in the United States ahead of next year's World Cup in North America.
However, it was later claimed that he and former The Only Way is Essex star Kate had their eyes on a move to Dubai, where they were first introduced by mutual friends nearly a decade ago.
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Earlier this year, The Sun reported that the couple had started looking at properties and schools in Dubai, having decided that now is the right time for them and their family to relocate.
Together, they share two children, while Kate is also a stepmother to the ex-footballer's three children from his previous marriage to late wife Rebecca Ellison, who died from cancer in 2015.
Ferdinand is yet to publicly confirm his next career move, but it is believed that a move to the United Arab Emirates would also see the couple travel back and forth to the UK to fulfil their work commitments, with Kate the founder of online platform blended.
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The former Premier League star's exit from TNT Sports also comes just weeks after he suffered a terrifying health scare which caused him to pull out of their European football coverage.
Ferdinand had been due to provide analysis of Arsenal's Champions League clash with PSG before his co-commentary duties for Manchester United's Europa League semi-final against Athletic Bilbao, but instead watched the games from a hospital bed after being struck down by a "crazy virus".
He later opened up on the ordeal, as he revealed that the illness left him fearing for his life after experiencing migraines and vertigo as well as projectile vomiting.
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"I had a mad virus," he explained on his show, Rio Ferdinand Presents. "I thought lights were out at some point, I thought it was gonna happen. I thought I was minutes away from lights out, seriously.
"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."
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Ferdinand added that he had started panicking after doctors told him he would need a brain scan, having already been offered an ambulance to rush him to 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 said. "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."