Rio Ferdinand was one of the outstanding English defenders of the Premier League era, a ball-playing centre-back whose composure and reading of the game were ahead of his time. He came through at West Ham United before record-breaking moves to Leeds United and then Manchester United.
At Old Trafford he formed a formidable partnership at the heart of the defence, winning a long list of Premier League titles and the Champions League in 2008. Elegant in possession and rarely flustered, he was a cornerstone of the England side across several major tournaments and set a template for the modern, composed centre-back.