Rio Ferdinand set to retire at the end of 2014/2015 season

Former Manchester United and England captain Rio Ferdinand has stated his intention to retire from professional football at the end of the season.

The one and only: Rio Ferdinand's legacy at United will never be forgotten amongst the Red Devil fans and the club themselves

Current Queens Park Rangers center-back and former United Defender Rio Ferdinand is one of the most decorated defenders in English Premier League history, and now his eventful career is set to end following the 2014-15 campaign.

Memories: The defensive partnership of Rio and Vidic was once one of the world best. (Credit Gety Images)

The 35 year old told Jonathan Ross in an interview that will be broadcast on Saturday evening that he expects to hang up his boots at the end of the season.
"I probably think the end of this season," Ferdinand told The Jonathan Ross Show when asked about retirement.
"I'm not fearful of retirement, I'm looking forward to it, I can see some good stuff hopefully happening ahead.
"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."

Highly rated: Rio's big money moves captured the eyes of many clubs across Europe 

Rio has twice been the worlds most expensive defender, with the first being a £18m switch from West ham To Leeds in 2000 and the £34m move to Manchester United less than two seasons later, where he evolved into one of the best defenders the footballing world had ever seen winning  11 major trophies in 12 seasons at Old Trafford before moving to QPR in the summer on a free transfer.
While Ferdinand's playing career is reaching its conclusion, he anticipates continuing to be part of the sport for a long time to come:
"I will stay in football I'm sure in some capacity. I've signed to BT and stuff and I've done stuff with the BBC at the World Cup which I really enjoyed and it's something I'm sure I will take up and do a bit more (of). I'm doing my (coaching) badges as well and there are other bits and pieces outside of football."

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In sports, players often try to well past their primes, which can tarnish the legacies they have built. The fact that he intends to walk away in 2015 means he values what he has accomplished, and he places importance on preserving it. Here's to you Rio, a iconic reminder of how defenders have evolved, and more so how all good things sadly come to an end.