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RIO FERDINAND WILL MAKE HIS FINAL APPEARANCE FOR TNT SPORTS IN SATURDAY'S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL, HAVING CONFIRMED HIS DECISION TO QUIT THE BROADCASTER AFTER 10 YEARS 13:03, 01 Jun 2025

Rio Ferdinand is set to hang up his microphone at TNT Sports, with last night;s Champions League final marking his swansong after a ten-year tenure as a football pundit. The ex-Manchester

United and England centre-back reportedly turned down a fresh contract from the TNT hierarchy some time ago. Not long back, he confirmed his departure post-the epic showdown between Inter

Milan and Paris Saint-Germain in Munich, labelling the move a "difficult" one. "After 10 incredible years, I have made the difficult decision to step away from TNT Sports

after the Champions League final," Ferdinand issued in a release. "Since retiring from football it has been a privilege talking about the game I love for a decade for sports fans

watching on BT Sport and TNT Sports. "I want to acknowledge the tremendous support from the team behind the scenes whose hard work often goes unseen but has been essential to our

success. To everyone at TNT Sports, we have a brilliant end to the season to look forward to on Saturday and for now all focus will be on what I think could go down as one of the great

European finals. "The network continues to thrive with more rights than ever. I know I look forward to following its progress and the exciting future that lies ahead. Lastly I would

like to thank my family and my management company New Era for their ongoing support," reports Wales Online. "They have supported me to travel all over Europe following the best

players and watching the best matches." The 46-year-old sports figure has made a choice amid swirling rumours suggesting his time with the broadcasting firm may draw to a close at

season's end, with speculation rife about a relocation overseas with his spouse Kate. Article continues below Speculation had it that Ferdinand, whose career on the pitch saw him don

West Ham, Leeds and QPR jerseys, might look towards US ventures with an eye on the upcoming World Cup scheduled for North America next year. Subsequent claimed hinted that both he and ex-The

Only Way is Essex star Kate were potentially setting sights on Dubai, a region where their paths initially crossed through friends nearly ten years past. Just earlier in the year, it was

The Sun that divulged details on the couple’s inspection of estates and schools within Dubai's borders, hinting at the pair's readiness to embark upon a new chapter in the Middle

Eastern state. Jointly, they parent two children alongside Kate's role as stepmum to Ferdinand's trio from his first marriage with Rebecca Ellison, who tragically died in 2015.

While Ferdinand himself hasn't come forward with any confirmation regarding his forthcoming professional direction, it’s understood that should they move to Dubai, there’d remain

frequent trips to British soil for work, one being Kate’s commitment to her internet venture blended. The departure of the ex-Premier League footballer from TNT Sports occurred shortly after

he was hit by a harrowing health scare, leading him to withdraw from their European football coverage. Ferdinand was set to analyse Arsenal's Champions League match against PSG and

provide co-commentary for Manchester United's Europa League semi-final with Athletic Bilbao. However, he ended up observing the matches from a hospital bed, having been laid low by what

he described as a "crazy virus". Opening up about the frightening experience, he shared that the illness had him genuinely fearing for his life, suffering from severe migraines,

vertigo, and intense vomiting. "I had a mad virus," Ferdinand said on his programme, Rio Ferdinand Presents. "I thought lights were out at some point, I thought it was gonna

happen. I thought I was minutes away from lights out, seriously. " "I was in my house, I was in my bed like this [pained expression] and I couldn't even open my eyes Then, the

headache I had... I don't get migraines or nothing else so I don't know what they're like. I thought my head was in a vice and my eyes were going to pop out. Then, I was

being sick, projectile vomiting in the toilet, I got back to bed and I was having vertigo. was holding on to the sheets, I didn't know where I was. It was crazy." Ferdinand also

mentioned the panic that set in when doctors informed him that a brain scan was necessary, following an offer of an ambulance to expedite his journey to the hospital. Article continues below

"I had to go to hospital and the doctor even said to me, 'Do you want an ambulance?' So that's when I knew," he revealed. "He went, 'We're going to

get your brain scanned'. "I thought it was a virus or a flu or something so when he mentioned brain scan and the ambulance, the panic was nuts. I went to hospital and I was in

there for a few days. I couldn't even enjoy the hospital food. The soup and the ice cream normally does wonders."