Rio Ferdinand Will Retire from Football After 2014-15 Season

Queens Park Rangers center back Rio Ferdinand is one of the most decorated defenders in English Premier League history, and now his storied career is set to end following the 2014-15 campaign.

According to Pete O'Rourke of Sky Sports, the 35-year-old Englishman plans to retire at the conclusion of the current season:

Per Matt McGeehan of The Independent, Ferdinand announced his intention during an interview on The Jonathan Ross Show, which will air on Oct. 25.

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"I probably think the end of this season (I will retire)," Ferdinand said.

This marks Ferdinand's first year with QPR after spending 12 seasons at Manchester United. Ferdinand experienced incredible success with the Red Devils as a six-time EPL champion, one-time UEFA Champions League titlist and six-time member of the EPL PFA Team of the Year.

Having done it all, Ferdinand is excited about the next chapter in his life, according to McGeehan: "I'm not fearful of retirement, I'm looking forward to it, I can see some good stuff hopefully happening ahead. You get to a time where you start understanding your body and the strains playing football (is) putting your body through, going out and training every day."

After starting QPR's first seven EPL contests, Ferdinand was benched for their most recent match against Liverpool, a 3-2 loss. The Hoops find themselves in last place in the Premier League (on goal differential) with four points through eight matches, having registered one win, one draw and six defeats. 

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While Ferdinand's playing career is reaching its conclusion, he anticipates continuing to be part of the sport for a long time to come, according to McGeehan:

"

I will stay in football I'm sure in some capacity. I've signed to BT and stuff and I've done stuff with the BBC at the World Cup which I really enjoyed and it's something I'm sure I will take up and do a bit more (of). I'm doing my (coaching) badges as well and there are other bits and pieces outside of football.

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In sports, players often try to hang on well past their primes, which can tarnish the legacies they have built. The fact that he intends to walk away in 2015 means he values what he has accomplished, and he places importance on preserving it.

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