Rio plans to retire at end of season

Rio Ferdinand has said that he will “probably” retire at the end of the season.

The 35-year-old former England captain joined QPR from Manchester United in the summer but has come in for criticism for his performances so far and was dropped for Sunday’s defeat against Liverpool.

In an interview for the Jonathan Ross Show, which will be shown on ITV1 on Saturday, Ferdinand said he is likely to hang up his boots next year.

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“I’m not fearful of retirement, I’m looking forward to it, I can see some good stuff hopefully happening ahead,” said Ferdinand, who turns 36 in November.

“You get to a time where you start understanding your body and the strains playing football (is) putting your body through, going out and training every day.”

Ferdinand, who started his career with West Ham and then joined Leeds before moving to Manchester United, has been working as a television pundit and is also taking his coaching badges.

He made his England debut in 1997 and won 81 caps, scoring three goals.

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