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Rio Ferdinand has opened up on his decision to retire from his role as a pundit, stating he has no interest in a management role in the future
Rio Ferdinand has ruled out a switch to coaching as he aims to "be more present" with his family after leaving England.
The ex-Manchester United star stepped down from his punditry role at TNT Sports last season, intending to devote more time to his personal life after relocating to Dubai. Ferdinand had been a regular feature at the broadcaster for ten years since retiring from football in 2015, providing commentary and his own views on a range of high-profile Premier League and Champions League matches.
The 46-year-old has often sparked debate with his frank assessments of his former club United and their recent struggles. Despite expectations that the former defender might follow in the footsteps of ex-teammates Gary Neville and Roy Keane into management, Ferdinand has dismissed this idea.
In an interview with the Mail, he said: "I wouldn't have moved away if I wanted to go into management. I'd manage my little boy's team maybe, but nowhere else."
Ferdinand now lives in Dubai with his wife Kate and their children - four year old son Cree and two year old daughter Shae - after leaving his punditry role at TNT Sports. His three children from his previous marriage to the late Rebecca Ellison - Lorenz, 19, Tate, 17, and Tia, 14 - recently visited the Ferdinands in Dubai after choosing to stay in the UK.
He continues to manage various other media commitments, including his YouTube channel, which concentrates primarily on the latest developments at Old Trafford and across the Premier League. Speaking about how his son follows the top flight while thousands of miles away, Ferdinand added: "We are watching games. Obviously, he has to stay up a little bit later than normal, but it's still been good."
The former defender remains hopeful of attending more matches in person, though he admits to looking forward to simply enjoying the sport rather than viewing it for professional purposes. Ferdinand said: "Working at TNT and being heavily involved in travelling to games, I'm not doing that as much now.
"But as the season goes by I'll get to more and more games. That's inevitable because when you love football the way I do, you just want to watch some football. I'll be taking in some games locally as well, I'm sure.
"I'm still working and doing bits and pieces, but being around the family and being more present was one of the reasons for coming here and it's really paying off, so that's nice."
Despite stepping back from punditry duties, Ferdinand has continued to voice his opinions on United ahead of this weekend's crucial Manchester derby. Ruben Amorim's side will face off against Pep Guardiola's City on Sunday at 4:30pm, with the former Red Devils legend admitting the upcoming game is a tale of two sides.
Reflecting on the current United squad members who would make it into a combined Manchester XI, Ferdinand said: "Bruno [Fernandes]. I put Leny Yoro in there. I think he is going to be a standout this year. [Bryan] Mbeumo probably gets in there now. [Matheus] Cunha might have a chance.
"At the moment City have got a better squad than us, I think that's a fact. I don't think many people would argue with that. That's just the way it is at the moment. But Man United have had a good transfer window, ins and outs, and hopefully we'll see the benefits of that by the end of the season.
"We needed more pace and players who can execute a transition both ways; more durability, more ability to keep pace with teams. They have addressed that, definitely in the forward areas. I still think more of a dynamic midfielder could have been brought in. I think they attempted but it didn't materialise. I think they're going the right way in that."
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