Leeds United - Rio DVD

Rio Ferdinand cemented his status as the best centre-back in British football with a series of assured performances at the 2002 World Cup--prompting comparisons yet again with 1966 hero and England captain Bobby Moore, and making the record-breaking £18m that Leeds paid to swoop the young defender from West Ham look like a bit of a bargain. Despite his exalted status, and undeniable promise, you may think that the two hours-plus of Rio material on offer here is more than enough, but even for non-Leeds fans this Official Club production is a surprisingly entertaining... effort. Following his career from boyhood on the streets of Peckham, London, through the ranks at West Ham, the move to Leeds, and subsequent Champions League adventures, and his times with England (though not including the 2002 World Cup), it's typical rags-to-riches stuff. There's plenty of chat from family, friends, team-mates, players and managers past and present--with Ferdinand himself coming across as a likable, open young man--plus loads of action from all stages of his career. This aspect of the programme would have set the production team a real challenge--Ferdinand is hardly a prolific scorer, and the best purely defensive performances can't really be appreciated from clips--but they make a reasonable enough job of it, leaving you in little doubt that Rio is a very special footballer, of whom we have not seen the best yet. On the DVD: Rio has a screen format of 4:3. There's an odd mix of extras, including text-only career stats and a gallery of still images. Also included is an "unedited" version of the face-to-face interview with Rio that forms an important part of the main programme. --Alex Hankin [show more]

Read More