Did the England captain get decked?

Rio Ferdinand turned up at Manchester Airport yesterday sporting a huge shiner on his left eye. His agent claimed he picked it up during the Aston Villa pummeling at the weekend, but John O’Shea was overheard asking him what had happened, and Rio evasively said: “I’ll tell you later.”

If it was picked up during a game, wouldn’t O’Shea have been aware of it, and wouldn’t Rio have delivered

England captain preoccupied by household furnishings

Speaking on BBC Five Live, Rio Ferdinand shared some reassuring words concerning the effect of Gary Neville’s injury on the Manchester United side:

“Giggsy has stepped in and taken up the mantelpiece”

He went on to say that Patrice Evra is doing well taking up the grandfather clock and the window sills are in good hands with Nemanja Vidic.

[Popbitch]

When judgement day comes, a day when the good lord is going to be swamped, will He look back favourably on the events of this week as the moment English football returned to the path of righteousness, thanks to his faithful servant, Fabio Capello and his disciple Rio Ferdinand? Or will the current vogue for goodness in football melt with the Easter snows?

This particular episode of morality began last Wednesday when Ashley Cole tried to sever Alan Hutton’s leg, then bristled with contempt when referee Mike Riley had the nerve to book him. This display of insolence stoked sufficient national outrage that a feeling of

Are the drugs tests, driving bans and homophobia behind him?

In a poll run by The Spoiler last week, just fourteen per cent of you believed Rio Ferdinand should be England captain, with Stevie G taking the lion’s share of the votes (forty-seven per cent). Perhaps Rio is still seen by many as a loose cannon who busies himself with ‘merking’ and attempting to break the sound barrier on the motorway. However, after a slick press conference and some carefully chosen words of maturity, we are now led to believe that the defender is a reformed character in strong contention for the permanent captain’s position.

Is the new Rio the result of some media training and a Capello-orchestrated plan to temporarily keep the armband away from John Terry, or has Mr Ferdinand really turned a corner? Votes and comments below, please.

Charity starts at home for the United star

Being a fervent lover of charidee, Rio Ferdinand set up a £300,000 football academy in Uganda last year, which continues to educate and train the underprivileged street children of Kampala.

On meeting the kids whose lives he has helped, the philanthropic defender said his experience was ‘overwhelming and humbling’. Aww.

But hang on a second… this website offers properties in a

Rio is making sure his team will be Big Pimpin’ and knee-deep in hos

If you thought seeing an underperforming Ukrainian wearing a sexy rollneck to a party was exciting, wait until you hear the plans for Manchster Utd’s festive shin dig!

According to our good friends at Kickette, The Reds will be kicking into