RIO FERDINAND is officially a free agent having left his role at TNT Sports.
The former Manchester United and England defender was part of the broadcaster’s commentary and punditry team for a DECADE.
ALAMYRio Ferdinand has left his role at TNT Sports[/caption]
GETTYThe former Manchester United and England star has revealed his next move[/caption]
But the 46-year-old has decided to move on to pastures new by not renewing his contract.
An emotional social media post read: “After 10 incredible years, I have made the difficult decision to step away from TNT Sports after the Champions League final.
“Since retiring from football, it has been a privilege talking about the game I love for a decade for sports fans watching on BT Sports and TNT Sports.
“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, and I look forward to following its progress and the exciting future that lies ahead.
“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. For a football fan like me, it’s been a dream come true.
ALAMYRio Ferdinand is looking forward to the ‘next chapter’ of his life[/caption]
“As I turn the page to the next chapter. I carry with me countless memories.”
Ferdinand will have plenty of time on his hands now that he’s no longer bound to TNT Sport’s hectic schedule.
The pundit plans to spend his free time with his family, as well as focusing on his podcast and other “interests”.
So what will Rio be up to now..?
Full-time podcasting
Despite being incredibly busy with TNT for the last decade, Ferdinand has managed to cultivate a massive podcast.
His ‘Rio Ferdinand Presents’ podcast, which was previously called ‘Vibe with Five’, has over 1.3 MILLION subscribers on YouTube and thousands of listeners on Apple and Spotify.
The podcasting world is an extremely lucrative one, so Ferdinand would be foolish not to use his massive platform and standing in the game to cash in on a potential post-career goldmine.
RIO FERDINAND PRESENTSThe Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast has over 1.3 million subscribers on YouTube[/caption]
Punditry
Although Ferdinand plans to focus on his other interests, an immediate move to one of TNT’s rivals isn’t off the cards.
Sky Sports have just freed up a boatload of cash by culling multiple presenters and reporters in a wave of redundancies.
And it could be used to finance a potential swoop for Ferdinand, who would draw huge numbers along with former England team-mates Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher.
A move to the BBC could also be on the cards following Gary Lineker‘s departure from Match of the Day.
Ferdinand is no stranger to a bit of Beeb punditry having worked for the national broadcaster during multiple international tournaments, including Euro 2024.
BBCRio Ferdinand was part of the BBC’s coverage of Euro 2024[/caption]
Charity work
Ferdinand could use his downtime to focus on the ‘Rio Ferdinand Foundation’, which he set up back in 2012.
The foundation was set up with the goal of creating opportunities for young people in impoverished areas and has been a huge success.
Restaurants
Ferdinand entered the restaurant world in 2009, opening Rosso Restaurant & Bar in Manchester‘s city centre.
But Rosso, which was visited by A-listers galore, closed its doors after 15 years of service back in September 2023.
Ferdinand could look to revive the defunct restaurant or open a new one.
Although given the volatile nature of the culinary world, he may decide against returning to the industry.
Boxing
Ferdinand tried to become a professional boxer following his retirement in 2015 but was denied a license by the British Boxing Board of Control.
Ferdinand immediately gave up on his dreams of becoming a pugilist after the BBBofC’s huge knockdown, although he could reignite them now that he has plenty of time on his hands.
Influencer boxing promotion Misfits Boxing would no doubt jump at the opportunity to get Ferdinand in the ring as they recently did with his former United and QPR team-mate Danny Simpson.
But they would likely have to break the bank to get him to lace up his gloves so late into his forties.
INSTAGRAM@RIOFERDY5Rio Ferdinand could give boxing a go following his departure[/caption] Creator – [#item_custom_dc:creator]
