The Peckham-born star burst onto the Premiership scene with West Ham United under the guidance of Harry Redknapp before being snapped up by Leeds United for £18million in November 2000.
The 2002 World Cup provided Rio with the stage to make the transformation from budding talent to accomplished defender, and his performances in Japan convinced Sir Alex Ferguson to part with a massive £30million.
Although initially hampered by injury and loss of form, Rio found his feet towards the end of his first season, as United came back from the dead to overtake Arsenal and win their fifteenth League title.
In September 2003 disaster struck. The defender missed a routine drugs test and, despite appealing, was banned from football for 8 months in January 2004.
Since returning from his suspension, Rio has consistently justified his tag as a world-class defender. He also rediscovered his goal touch, most dramatically with an injury-time winner against Liverpool in January 2006.
Although an increasingly potent threat from set-pieces, Rio’s main asset remains his leadership in defence – a skill that has made him a solid foundation for both United and England.
