Rio Ferdinand: Playing out from the back
By Ben Welch published
The finest ball playing centre back to have pulled on the England shirt since Bobby Moore, Rio Ferdinand reveals his top tips for quarter-backing the play from

Long gone are the days when defenders were just foot soldiers – built for throwing their bodies in the way of howitzers, metal studs, iron foreheads and sharp elbows.
Now they’re 21st century Dogs of War – more T1000 than Terminator.
When Rio Ferdinand broke into the West Ham first team and started following up industrial strength tackles with stylish pirouettes past blood curdling tackles, the football world stood up and took notice.
Technically adept defenders were the future. Ferdinand has since gone on to captain Manchester United and England, mixing grit with grace.
Watch this video to hear Rio’s top tips on playing the ball out from the back.
Rio enlisted the help of James Milner, Ashley Cole and Aaron Lennon to help ‘mentor’ the four UK hopefuls. To follow their progress visit www.facebook.com/nikefootball
Also see:
Rise above the attack
Tricky or tall, it’s no problem
How to be a ball playing centre back
Rio: The thinking man's guide to defending
Rio: Handling different types of striker
Rio: Communicating with your team-mates
Rio: When to hit row Z
Rio: My pre-match playlist
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Get the best features, fun and footballing frolics straight to your inbox every week.
Thank you for signing up to Four Four Two. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.