Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand revealed the reason behind turning down managerial jobs after his playing career.
Ferdinand retired from his playing career on July 1, 2015, and began taking his coaching badges. He did his coaching badges alongside the likes of Wayne Rooney, Michael Carrick, and John O’Shea.
All those former Manchester United players are currently involved in managerial activities. In the same year, Ferdinand ended his playing career, his wife, Rebecca, died of breast cancer at the age of 34.
The deceased wife left behind three children, Lorenz, Tate, and Tia. Ferdinand revealed that he didn’t pursue a managerial career so as to take care of his young children.
The pundit revealed this on the Overlap Podcast, saying, “I was doing my badges. I wanted to be a coach and manager 100 percent. Me, Wayne, Michael, and Sheasy, they’ve all done management now; I was on the same course as them. But obviously, personal situations at home happen.”
“If you’re going to be a manager, you’ve got to be there 24/7; there’s no time off. I’ve seen it with Stevie and Frank in the little time I’ve had with them. The change from being a pundit to a manager is that their phones are never off their ear.”
In addition, Rio Ferdinand said, “They’re not really fully engaged because they’re probably thinking about a million other things. My kids needed me to be 100 percent with them; I’m at work, but I’m contactable; I can still be there; I can still get to parents evenings, whereas with managers, they miss all that stuff.”
“So I had to make a really quick decision. It wasn’t even something I had to think about, really. It was just like, I’m not doing that.”
How old is Rio Ferdinand?
The former Manchester United defender was born on November 7, 1978, in the city of Camberwell, England. He is currently 45 years old, with a height of 6 feet and 2 inches.
Rio Ferdinand’s achievements
Ferdinand won the Champions League, the FIFA Club World Cup, six Premier League titles, three Carabao Cups, and four Community Shields with Manchester United.
Rio Ferdinand Stats
Ferdinand made 691 appearances, scoring 13 goals and creating 12 assists in all club competitions. Also, the former England international received 51 yellow cards and a red card before his retirement.
Out of the 13 goals scored, eight were for Manchester United, two for West Ham, and three for Leeds United.
Ferdinand made his international debut for England on November 15, 1997, scoring three goals in 81 appearances for the country.
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