Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has come to the defence of current manager Louis van Gaal but also criticised the Dutchman’s team for lacking attacking ambition.

Terry received a four-match suspension after being found guilty of using abusive language towards Ferdinand’s brother Anton during a Premier League game in October 2011.

Rio Ferdinand has branded the valuations placed on young English players “a joke”.

Rio Ferdinand "has got a great football brain", Harry Redknapp has said..

Former England captain Rio Ferdinand has announced his retirement from football.

Rio Ferdinand’s wife Rebecca has died following a short battle with cancer.

Rio Ferdinand wants to finish his career at Manchester United and has backed team-mate Wayne Rooney to follow suit.

Rio Ferdinand today revealed he will not launch a second appeal against his eight-month ban for missing a drugs test – and the Manchester United defender has told how he was reduced to tears by the Football Association’s disciplinary action.

Rio Ferdinand has decided not to go ahead with a second appeal against his eight-month ban for missing a drugs test.

Rio Ferdinand has launched a scathing attack on the Football Association for trying to have his suspension for missing a drugs test lengthened.

Rio Ferdinand was tonight declared drug free – but it hasn’t been enough to save his European Championship dream.

Rio Ferdinand’s drugs ban appeal has backfired with a three-man appeals panel tonight upholding his eight-month suspension.

Bobby Robson believes Manchester United will badly miss Rio Ferdinand if he is eventually banned over his missed drugs test.

A leading official from the World Anti-Doping Agency maintains they will seek to have Rio Ferdinand’s ban for missing a drugs test increased.

Ryan Giggs has described the eight-month ban handed to Manchester United team-mate Rio Ferdinand for missing a drugs test as “ridiculous”.

Rio Ferdinand has until January 19 to decide whether to appeal against the eight-month ban imposed on him by an independent three-man disciplinary commission for failing to take a drugs test.

Rio Ferdinand has two weeks from today to decide whether to appeal against the eight-month ban imposed on him by a three-man disciplinary comission for failing to take a drugs test.

David Beckham has backed Rio Ferdinand to come through his current missed drugs test turmoil and one day even replace him as England captain.

Sir Alex Ferguson hailed Rio Ferdinand for his “maturity” after Manchester United’s 2-1 victory at Tottenham as he vowed to continue picking the defender for as long as possible despite his looming eight-month ban.

Rio Ferdinand temporarily put his disciplinary frustrations behind him to help Manchester United to the win at Tottenham which ensured Alex Ferguson’s side will top the Premiership at Christmas.

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Alex Ferguson kept faith with Rio Ferdinand as Manchester United sought to go top of the Premiership against Tottenham this afternoon.

A leading sports lawyer has claimed that Rio Ferdinand faces the loss of several key sponsors as a result of his eight-month drugs ban.

Claudio Ranieri today told Sven-Goran Eriksson that John Terry is the man to replace Rio Ferdinand in the England defence at Euro 2004.

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson is hinting Rio Ferdinand may turn his back on England because of the eight-month ban the defender received for missing a drugs test.

UEFA have backed the eight-month ban given to Rio Ferdinand for missing a drugs test.

Sven-Goran Eriksson was today left to face up to the frustration of having to plan for the Euro 2004 finals without Rio Ferdinand, one of the cornerstones of his England defence.

Players’ union deputy chief executive Mick McGuire believes Rio Ferdinand was robbed of a fair hearing the moment his missed test became public knowledge.

Rio Ferdinand’s former West Ham manager Harry Redknapp has labelled the eight-month drugs ban meted out to the Manchester United and England defender “harsh”.

Rio Ferdinand is determined to ignore worldwide opinion and press ahead with his appeal against an eight-month drugs ban setting Manchester United and the Football Association on a collision course which could end in the High Court.

Rio Ferdinand’s eight-month suspension for failing to take a drugs test is either “very draconian” or very light – depending on which expert observer you listen to.

Rio Ferdinand will appeal against an eight-month ban – branded “savage and unprecedented” by his club – for failing to take a drugs test.

The Football Association has released a statement on Rio Ferdinand's eight-month ban.

Rio Ferdinand’s eight-month suspension from football for failing to take a drugs test is a “very draconian” punishment, according to players’ union boss Gordon Taylor.

Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand was today banned for eight months, starting from Monday, January 12, for missing a drugs test.

Alex Ferguson swept into Bolton’s Reebok Stadium this lunchtime to lend his weight to Rio Ferdinand’s battle to avoid suspension over his failure to take a drugs test.

Rio Ferdinand arrived early for the second day of his Football Association hearing at Bolton’s Reebok Stadium desperately hoping the verdict due to be delivered this afternoon will be favourable.

Rio Ferdinand arrived an hour early for his misconduct hearing at Bolton’s Reebok Stadium.

Rio Ferdinand will be available for Manchester United’s Christmas programme even if he is banned over his failure to take a drugs test.