Ferdinand confesses that he played drunk: “I had three brandies …”

Former footballer Rio Ferdinand has confessed on the podcast The Mo Gilligan who once played drunk against Arsenal at the now defunct Highbury. It was in the first English league meeting in the 1996-97 season. The central defender was active in the ranks of West Ham. As he was not summoned for the meeting, he had decided to have a few drinks, but was finally included at the last minute on the list due to the absence of Paolo Futre, who had bothered not to wear the '10', according to Ferdinand. “I had had three brandies with Cola-Cola and I was in the players' room. A utility man came in and told me that I had to get dressed, that I was called up. I still had a glass in hand”, assured the English.

Ferdinand has always spoken openly about his drinking excesses. “At West Ham there was a drinking culture, we always drank after games. From that time I have gaps, people ask me about results with the team and I don't remember “, Ferdinand explained. “I was on the bench thinking, 'Please don't let me in, three brandies and Coke, I can't get into this field. And then I walked in “, the defender continued narrating. It was the 87th minute, and his coach at the time, Harry Redknapp, gave him the alternative and made him jump onto the pitch in a game that Arsenal beat West Ham 2-0. Ferdinand was only 17 years old and replaced Slaven Bilic.

The now sportscaster has never hidden that during his fruitful sports career he combined times when he had problems with alcohol. “I could drink quite a bit when I was younger. I could have eight, nine or ten pints … and then I would switch to vodka. When I was younger I could spend all day drinking, getting up and going. We always drank after games. It was a different, crazy culture. Soccer, alcohol and discos. That's how we lived, “he said in a 2019 interview on The Guardian.