Rio Ferdinand says the back injuries from his football career have left him needing a wheelchair - and regularly being hospitalised. Ferdinand, 47, had a stellar career for Manchester United and England, playing almost 600 matches for a string of clubs and his country before retiring in 2015. But it seems the injuries he tried to fight off in his career - using painkilling injections and tablets - are now catching up with him. I've got injuries that I had from my career... As well as hitting out at what he felt was a difficult changing room, Ferdinand opened up on those physical issues in an appearance on the Stick to Football podcast two years ago.

Source: Daily Mail February 10, 2026 11:38 UTC