Rio Ferdinand did not look like a man doing hard work. While other centre-backs kicked and wrestled, he seemed to glide, arriving before the striker and taking the ball away without any fuss. He read the game so well that he seldom needed a desperate tackle.
The trophies came at Manchester United: 6 Premier League titles and a Champions League. His partnership with Nemanja Vidić sat at the heart of Sir Alex Ferguson's best sides, and many still rate it as the finest defensive duo the Premier League has seen.
The price tag
Ferdinand became the most expensive defender in the world when Leeds United signed him for £18 million in 2000. It looked like a lot of money for a defender at the time. It looks rather cheap now, because his comfort on the ball was ahead of its time and would be worth even more in today's game.
For England he earned 81 caps and played at several World Cups and European Championships.
Smooth, strong and very classy, he was the Rolls-Royce of centre-backs. In a league full of hard men, he was the elegant one, and he takes number 22.
Tomorrow: number 21, his old partner.
