Rio Ferdinand--Five Star--The Biography by Wensley Clarkson Read Free Book Online

back in 1995 Redknapp told the world: ‘We have a good team spirit here, a good squad and young players coming through who I feel can really be something. Our problem was that we seemed to stop producing homegrown talent. Now we have a group of five or six with chances and two who are outstanding. We’ve got a kid here called Rio Ferdinand and he can do a lot at the back. He can bring the call out, pass, play, read the game. He’s a great kid as well with real possibilities. Then there’s Frank Lampard junior, who we’ve loaned out to Swansea. He’s still meant to be a youth player, but he’s doing well in their first team.’
    Rio even went in goal for a Capital League game against Dagenham and kept a clean sheet. He also had a starring role in the Hammers’ Youth Cup Final team in 1995. They might have lost the final, but the word on Rio was spreading fast and some were even tipping him as a squad member for the 1998 World Cup. The same youth side also won the South-East Counties’ Championship. Rio hadn’t made one first-team appearance and yet the pressure wasalready mounting. He insisted his top priority was to make his mark on the West Ham team and he continued playing just behind the attack in the youth side.
     
    In the summer of 1995 Rio’s former mentor Dave Goodwin took him on holiday with him and his family to the sunshine island of Crete. Goodwin recalled: ‘It was close to pre-season training time, so Rio got up at six o’clock every morning and went running while everyone was still in bed. Don’t get me wrong: he’s not Mr Perfect or Goody Two-Shoes. But he was single-minded about putting football before everything else.’
    Back in London, while most teenagers sat at home playing video games, Rio watched even more football tapes to improve his knowledge. And because he wanted to learn more about every aspect of the game, he also continued to go to matches with Goodwin.
    Then in a pre-season reserve game for West Ham against St Albans the team was hit by an injury crisis and Rio played a central defensive role. He never looked back. ‘It was put on me and I didn’t enjoy it at first, but it grew on me.’
    The coaching staff quickly realised they had not only an extremely talented ball player but one who was able to defend as well. Rio’s career was about to switch direction in a very dramatic fashion.
    On 1 August 1995 Rio signed his first playing contract with West Ham on the Upton Park pitch in front of a crowd of 25,000 waiting for the kick-off of the first Premiership game of the season. Janice was there to see the proud moment, and says: ‘It was really emotional. I thought back to all those times we had been shopping for football boots.’
    Rio signed with West Ham under their Youth TrainingScheme. As part of the £35-a-week deal, he had to attend Kingsway College, in central London, on a part-time basis to do a course in Sports Science. Once he’d successfully completed the YTS, he would sign a professional contract with the Hammers when he turned 17 in November that year.
    Harry Redknapp wasn’t shy about singing young Rio’s praises. ‘I think he’s got real possibilities to become a good player and I’m delighted he’s signed.’ He was convinced that Rio would soon make it into the first team, and what particularly impressed him was the youngster’s pace and balance on the ball.
    Dave Goodwin sat in on Rio’s full contract negotiations later that year when he signed a five-year professional deal with West Ham for £450 a week. He proudly explained: ‘Rio’s friends and his teammates have always looked after him. When the side broke up that was when some of them got into trouble. But Rio was always well protected.’ Now the young player was reaping the rewards.
    The 1995–6 season turned into a learning experience for Rio as he played regularly for the West Ham reserves and began to adjust to the faster pace and strength required for the adult game. At six feet two