Rio Ferdinand broke into the West Ham first team as a 17-year-old in 1996, a very different era for football and footballers to the current one. One match Ferdinand does remember was against Arsenal, but not for the right reasons. Ferdinand was not originally in the matchday squad for the fixture, but after Portuguese winger Paulo Futre refused to play without the No.10 shirt, he ended up on the bench.
Rio Ferdinand said “At West Ham there was a drinking culture, We always drank after games. I have gaps in my memory from that time. People ask me about the results with the team and I don’t remember. When I was young, I was crazy, I could spend all day drinking. I could drink 10 pints and then switch to vodka. I had had three brandies with Coca-Cola in the players’ lounge, then a utility man came and told me that I had to get changed because I was in the squad, I still had a glass in my hand. I was on the bench thinking please don’t put me on, I can’t go on this pitch after three brandies and Coca-Cola, and then I was brought on.”
West Ham lost the match 2-0, with no blame attached to Ferdinand, an 87th minute substitute.
