Former Manchester United and England defender, Rio Ferdinand, has revealed that chronic back problems sustained during his illustrious football career now leave him dependent on a wheelchair and hospitalization during severe flare-ups of pain.
The 47-year-old, widely regarded as one of the Premier League’s greatest centre-backs, spoke candidly about the physical toll his two-decade career has taken on his body in a recent interview with Men’s Health UK. Ferdinand said injuries he played through during his career, often masked with painkillers and injections, have resulted in lasting damage that still affects him more than a decade after retiring from the professional game.
“I’ve had a bad back for a long time … I get some bad moments of back pain where I have to be in a hospital for a couple of days or in a wheelchair for a couple of days. It’s mad, but it just comes out of nowhere,” Ferdinand told Men's Health UK.
He admitted that years of playing through pain, often relying on medication and injections to stay on the field, have contributed to persistent back issues that can become debilitating without warning. “That’s affected me,” he said, describing how the pain can strike suddenly and force him into hospital care or wheelchair use.
Ferdinand’s storied career spanned more than 700 matches for clubs including West Ham United, Leeds United, Manchester United, Queens Park Rangers and the England national team, earning 14 major honours including six Premier League titles and a UEFA Champions League trophy.
Since retiring in 2015, Ferdinand has shifted his focus to managing his long-term health and wellbeing.
Now living in Dubai with his family, he has been working with a physiotherapist and personal trainer on a more holistic approach to injury prevention and recovery rather than just treating symptoms.
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