Rio Ferdinand's staggering net worth, lavish property and personal life
Rio Ferdinand, the iconic former Leeds United, West Ham United, Manchester United, and Queen Park Rangers centre-back will be a key face on TNT Sports’ UEFA Champions League commentary team, which is set to continue with Manchester City hosting Internazionale (Inter Milan) kicking off their European campaign at the Etihad this evening.
In his prime, Ferdinand could mix it with the very best and arguably would not look out of place in the modern game; he was regularly commended for his alternative playing style and ability with the ball, at least in the early 2000s. The Camberwell-born defender cut his teeth at West Ham United before two seasons at Leeds followed after a record-breaking £18m deal. In 2002, Sir Alex Ferguson recruited the England defender; he spent twelve years at Old Trafford with an impressive trophy haul of six Premier League titles, two League cups, one UEFA Champions League, and several other triumphs.
He departed United in 2014, and an unsuccessful spell at QPR saw him retire from football the following years. This piece delves into the life that Ferdinand has led off the pitch, including his family life.
Personal life
On May 1, 2015, Ferdinand’s first wife Rebecca Ellison passed away after a short battle with cancer - which the family kept private following her diagnosis in 2014. Initially, it was thought she was clear of the disease, but the illness returned and spread to her bones.
Ferdinand and his family received an outpouring of support from fans across the globe; he said in a heartfelt statement: “My soulmate slipped away last night. Rebecca, my wonderful wife, passed away peacefully after a short battle with cancer at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London. She was a fantastic loving mother to our three beautiful children. She will be missed as a wife, sister, aunt, daughter, and granddaughter.” The former footballer was left as a single father to three children.
Speaking about his wife’s, ill-timed passing, during an interview in 2017, he said: “Rebecca passed away, I have to tell my children in a room next door, then you leave. Everyone’s prepared in life to have babies and to celebrate, but no one’s taught how you’re meant to deal with loss. It’s such a different feeling. There isn’t an automatic thing that you can think of, like Alcoholics Anonymous, for bereavement that’s getting the funding and air time that they deserve.”
In 2017, the former footballer began dating Kate Wright. The Essex-born reality star had a short stint on the popular show ‘The Only Way is Essex (TOWIE)’ but decided to quit the show once the pair became more serious in their relationship. As a result, she became step-mother to Rio’s three children
The couple's bond went from strength to strength; they were engaged in 2018 while on a lavish Abu Dhabi holiday before officially tying the knot in Turkey the following year.
Media career
Ferdinand dipped his toes into the world of punditry during the FIFA World Cup 2014 in Brazil while he was nearing the end of his playing days, flanked by usual BBC pundits Alan Shearer and Gary Lineker, he took to media work well and was able to give a ‘current’ insight into tactics given the fact he was still involved at a professional level.
In a column for Mail in 2014, Ferdinand explained how he felt about his new job and cited a certain Dutch legend as being a great help, he wrote: “I’m really grateful to Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer for easing me into it. It’s harder than it looks to provide decent analysis in a short space of time. Yet I’m most grateful of all to Ruud Gullit, who I bumped into the other night while having dinner and a drink with Thierry Henry.
Ruud asked what I was going to do next, in terms of playing, and I told him I was considering several options and different clubs.”
After following the advice of Gullit, things did not go as planned as Ferdinand’s body began to let him down during his brief spell at Loftus Road under the tutelage of then-QPR boss Harry Redknapp.
After retiring in 2015, he joined BT Sport (now TNT Sports) as a pundit for their Premier League, FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, and UEFA Europa League coverage. Like most ex-footballers, he can clearly read the game from pitchside or the gantry but some of his antics at times could be considered ‘over the top’, but there’s no doubting Rio’s appetite for the game.
A notable line comes to mind: during Manchester United’s UEFA Champions League comeback win against Paris Saint-Germain in March 2019, Ferdinand was clearly enthused by Marcus Rashford’s 94th-minute penalty, so much so that he said: “Get the contract out, put it on the table…let him [Ole Gunnar Solskjær] put whatever numbers he wants to put on there.” He then added the amusing line: “Man United are back!”
His personality, love him or loathe him, certainly commands attention and his Youtube channel is further proof that when he speaks people tune in and listen, ‘Rio Ferdinand Presents’ currently has 1.1m subscribers and Rio recently had Manchester United and Real Madrid legend and former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo on as a guest.
It is fair to say, we should expect to see the 46-year-old on our screens for a long time to come.
Net worth
Footballers are usually highly paid individuals but the likes of Ferdinand were the elite of their day which commanded bumper contracts and endorsements. It was estimated by The Richest that Ferdinand's personal wealth stretched to $75m which converts to nearly £57m. However, as some of his earnings will be tied up in assets it is difficult to gauge a true reflection of his bank balance. As of 2023, according to OK! The family of seven have settled in a £4m mansion in Bromley, London with a swimming pool, gym, and huge dressing room making up some of its bespoke features.