Rio Ferdinand calls time on his 18-year career

Former England captain Rio Ferdinand has announced his retirement from football, putting an end to his 18-year trophy laden career.

Days after being released from Queen Park Rangers (QPR), the 36-year old player said that it was the right time to retire from the game he loved, the BBC reported.

Ferdinand, who spent 12 years at Manchester United after spells at West Ham and Leeds, played his last match for QPR.

The former Manchester United defender said that after 18 years as a professional footballer, he felt it was the right time to retire from the game he loved.

He insisted that he would always regard the 81 minutes that he played for England with immense pride, adding that those were all treasured memories that would last a lifetime.

Ferdinand thanked his boss Alex Ferguson, saying that nothing would have happened without the genius of one man-Sir Alex.

Ferdinand, who began his career under Redknapp at West Ham, had a short loan spell at Bournemouth before making his England debut at the age of 19 in 1997.