Former England defender Rio Ferdinand has signed for Queens Park Rangers on a Bosman free transfer, the club have confirmed.<\/p>\n
The 35-year-old centre-half, released by Manchester United at the end of last season, has signed on a one-year deal following a series of talks with the west London club.<\/p>\n
Ferdinand spoke with Rangers boss Harry Redknapp earlier this week following his return from TV punditry at the World Cup and completed a medical on Thursday.<\/p>\n
He becomes the newly-promoted club\u2019s first signing of the summer transfer window.<\/p>\n
\u201cI spoke to Harry and Mr Fernandes at length. They both looked me in the eye and knew that I still have something to offer,\u201d Ferdinand told the club\u2019s official website.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not about money \u2013 I had loads of more lucrative offers available to me, offers from all over the world, some in places with a better climate than here.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut the draw for me was to play in the Premier League and back here where it all started.<\/p>\n
\u201cI still feel I\u2019ve got something to offer and I\u2019m excited about helping this club cement its place in the Premier League.”<\/p>\n
Ferdinand trained with QPR as a youth before joining West Ham\u2019s academy in 1992 where he broke into the first-team under Redknapp \u2013 then manager at Upton Park.<\/p>\n
His brother Anton enjoyed a two-year spell at Loftus Road while his cousin Les, the former England and Tottenham striker, is considered a QPR legend by supporters.<\/p>\n
And Ferdinand said: \u201cMy dad used bring me here as a young boy and I used to sit in the Loft.<\/p>\n
\u201cQPR was the first professional club to ever sign me and there are great memories for me here \u2013 for my family.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnton had nothing but good things to say and I watched here when I was a boy, with the likes of Ray Wilkins, Clive Wilson, David Bardsley and Alan McDonald.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ferdinand was released by Manchester United after a 12-year stint at the club, winning six league titles and the Champions League among others, while also playing over 400 times for the club.<\/p>\n
He brings the experience boss Redknapp has identified as key to Rangers pursuit of Premier League survival this season.<\/p>\n
And Redknapp told Sky Sports News: “We were the\u00a0only club he was looking to join so it wasn\u2019t that tough a deal to do.<\/p>\n
“Rio is easy to deal with and his demands weren\u2019t great. He just wants to play football for another year\u00a0and we couldn\u2019t be happier. He\u2019s a great signing for us.<\/p>\n
“Players like Rio don’t come along too often. I said when he was a youngster he would be one of the best defenders in Europe and he has been over a number of years.<\/p>\n
“For me, he’s a class act on and off the field and he’ll\u00a0be a great influence for everyone at QPR.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Former England defender Rio Ferdinand has signed for Queens Park Rangers on a Bosman free transfer, the club have confirmed. The 35-year-old centre-half, released by Manchester United at the end of last season, has signed on a one-year deal following a series of talks with the west London club. Ferdinand spoke with Rangers boss Harry […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":32793,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[],"tags":[29,3,1727,138,1726],"yoast_head":"\n