Former Man Utd Star Reveals He Now Needs to Use Wheelchair Due to Football Injuries

· GiveMeSport

Former Man Utd Star Reveals He Now Needs to Use Wheelchair Due to Football Injuries

Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has revealed he sometimes needs to use a wheelchair due to injuries suffered during his playing career. Now 47, the retired centre-back was always in the thick of the action, and an accumulation of back injuries has caught up with him. He also opened up about his many hospital appointments.

He enjoyed a stellar career for Man United and England, playing almost 600 matches for a string of clubs and his country before retiring in 2015, with six Premier League titles and a Champions League among his highest honours. But there is no reward without risk and, during Ferdinand’s playing days, English football was far more physical, with referees far more likely to turn a blind eye to hard-hitting tackles than in today’s more regimented game.

As a result of his position at the heart of defence - at times acting as a human battering ram, famously alongside Nemanja Matic - the footballer-turned-pundit is now facing the consequences of years of painkillers and ignoring his body’s desperate pleas for rest.

Ferdinand only ever suffered 11 reported injuries during his career which, for a player of his longevity, is good going, especially considering he never had the knee or hamstring issues that those prone to the sidelines usually pick up. However, his longest time out was in the 2009/10 campaign, when he missed two months and 15 matches with "back problems".

Having previously missed 10 matches because of three injuries of a similar nature in past seasons, it is that reoccurring injury that has come back to bite him even after hanging up his boots. He revealed, as per the Daily Mail :

> "I've had a bad back for a long time. I've got injuries that I had from my career... I was on tablets and injections for six years to play games. That's affected me.

> "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."

He continued: "I've been seeing a physio for the first time since I retired. He's been doing loads of manipulations and whatnot, and within his building there's also my personal trainer, so he feeds him information about my training. There's a holistic approach to what I'm doing now and, hopefully, that's going to put me in good stead."

Ferdinand insisted he is now more educated and knowledgeable about his body than he was when he was still playing football. "Rather than fixing it when it's broken, you actually prevent [injuries]," he added. "I know my s now. But I'm 47 years old. It took me all that time."

Despite the physical challenges Ferdinand is now facing, the 81-capped former England defender insisted he is still determined to maintain an active lifestyle. He explained this is in part to inspire his five children and ensure they think that having a healthy lifestyle "is the norm," as well as instilling a "work ethic" in them after they moved to Dubai together last year.

Ferdinand added that his parents were his own inspiration on this front and also highlighted the importance of being physically active for his "mental sanity." He said: "I like work; my mum and dad worked. They were grafters. That’s all I’ve known. When my kids talk about me, as much as it is, yeah, 'Daddy loves me' and 'Daddy’s done everything for me.' It’s 'Daddy worked hard. He was a hustler.' You know what I mean?"

Although not as much of an anatomical chart as he was during the height of his career as one of the greatest defenders in Premier League history , Ferdinand's weekly routine still features regular visits to the gym, ensuring he stays healthy both physically and mentally while he continues his punditry work to keep himself close to the sport he loves.

Read the original

People in this story

Related