Rio Ferdinand Presents

Former coach of the England senior and U21 side, Joleon Lescott joins Rio and Joel to analyse the players that he worked with whilst at the FA. There’s a debate around who is the best English holding midfielder, praise for Djed Spence and memories of how Steven Gerrard would make team mates “crumble” during matches with a simple withering look.Curtis Jones is a player that Lescott has admired since he worked with the midfielder at the U21s so the trio analyse what has made him step up a level this year for club and country. And there’s insight into the simple messages required from coaches who get the best out of maverick players like Cole Palmer.And Lescott also details the thoughts and considerations for the coaching staff and Thomas Tuchel for picking the players that were named in the squad. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Yes guys! I’m back for Rio Reacts, delivered by Just Eat and Pepsi Max, bringing you my raw reactions to all the biggest talking points from the UEFA Champions League.In this episode, we dive deep into:Lamine Yamal's Historic Performance: Is he the best 17-year-old we've ever seen? We compare his rise to legends like Messi, Rooney, and Owen.PSG's European Threat: How impressed are we by their dominance? And who's the standout player? Plus, we discuss Van Dijk's future.My Ultimate UCL Front 3: If you're heading into the final, who are your top picks? Kane, Yamal, Rodrygo, and more!Plus my Predictions on who will win the Champions League!Big shoutout to Just Eat and Pepsi Max for the amazing prizes. We reveal last week's winner and set this week's challenge: Build your Ultimate Current Champions League Player! Get creative and share your answers on X! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get Huel today with this exclusive offer for New Customers of £10 Pounds OFF + a FREE Gift with code RIOPRESENTS at https://huel.com/riopresents (Minimum £60 purchase)Rio and Joel are joined by former England coach and Premier League winner Joleon Lescott to discuss the reports about Kobbie Maine’s contractual situation, debate how much the midfielder is worth to the club and prospective buyers and analyse the way that Ruben Amorim tweaked his philosophy in the draw against Arsenal plus there’s a review of the performance of youngster Ayden Heaven.There’s analysis of Arsenal’s struggles in front of goal and the type of striker that Mikel Arteta needs to buy as well as debating whether there’s a realistic prospect of the Spaniard winning a title at the Emirates. Rio also opens up a debate as to whether the club would benefit more from selling William Saliba in order to purchase Alexander Isak.Rio discusses some data which suggests Arteta’s side are still relying on their right-hand side attack to create and score despite losing their talisman on the wing, Bukayo Saka who receives special praise from Lescott who coached him at England and reveals his single ‘world class attribute’. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Yes guys! Welcome to Rio Reacts, delivered by Just Eat and Pepsi Max, where I give you my raw and unfiltered reaction to the biggest talking points from Europe’s biggest stage. Joined by my good mate and the voice of football, Darren Fletcher, we dive deep into the heart of the Champions League.In this episode, we dissect the intense atmosphere of PSG vs. Liverpool, exploring the pressure cooker environment and how it compares to my playing days. Was Liverpool lucky to escape with a result? We break down key moments, including a controversial potential red card and a game-changing substitution from Arne Slot.Arsenal's historic 7-1 away victory. Can they win the Champions League? We discuss their potential path to the final and the remarkable achievement of scoring seven goals away from home in a knockout tie. Plus, we celebrate the rise of young talents like Ethan Nwaneri and debate his future potential, comparing him to other young stars making waves in the competition.Finally, we round up the strongest contenders for the Champions League title after the first leg.Fan’s Edition Delivered by Just Eat & Pepsi Max:It’s time for you to get involved! This Champions League gameweek, I want to know: What’s your Ultimate Matchday Meal? Share your answers with tweets, photos, or videos on X! The best response wins an incredible prize. Find all the details and T&Cs in the Rio Ferdinand Presents Instagram bio.Don’t forget to tune in every gameweek for more Rio Reacts and your chance to win unbelievable prizes from Just Eat and Pepsi Max. Get involved and let your voice be heard!https://www.just-eat.co.uk/www.pepsi.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Manchester United legend Andrew Cole joins Rio and Joel to analyse the club’s recent performances and their struggles in front of goal. Cole gives advice to Rasmus Hojlund and 17 year old Chido Obi and praises Bruno’s ability and mentality.There’s special praise for former captain Roy Keane both as a leader and as a player as well as former strike partner Dwight Yorke. Cole admits he doesn’t think his career gets the credit it deserves and discusses the shortage of elite number 9s in the game today.Cole also discusses Erling Haaland’s ability and reveals that there’s only three strikers that he thought was better than him from his era, along with the striker he thought was the “best finisher”. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rio and Joel are joined by a Professor of football finance, Kieran Maguire to analyse Manchester United’s financial position after they announced their “financial transformation plan". Maguire discusses the potential ’naivety’ shown by INEOS, the impact of the job losses on the club’s PSR and details the moves made by the hierarchy that have caused the most damage to the club’s finances.The trio also discuss how much the Glazers are hampering Man Utd’s performances with the way the debt from their purchase in 2005 is being serviced. Rio discusses the inadvertent effect of PSR on the way clubs are looking to sell their academy products before analysing the team’s performance in the 2-2 draw with Everton. You’ll hear why Bruno Fernandes is being ‘disrespected’ and Rio gives some advice for the squad in a bid to improve their confidence.Get Huel today with this exclusive offer for New Customers of £10 Pounds OFF + a FREE Gift with code ‘riopresents' at https://huel.com/riopresents (Minimum £60 purchase) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Real Madrid’s number one joins Rio to discuss his career and achievements after he accepted a title at the Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai. He reveals how players like Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Jr. and Antony Rudiger integrated themselves into the Madrid squad and what they’re like off the pitch.Courtois reserves special praise for Diego Simeone’s winning culture and obsession and credits the three seasons on loan at Atletico Madrid as a huge reason why he has achieved so much.There’s analysis of players like Eden Hazard and Karim Benzema and reflections on why Belgium’s golden generation were not able to win anything.Jose Mourinho played a big role in Courtois’ development so he shares stories about the ’Special One’ including how he intentionally blanked him after a match and why his constant striving to tap into the mentality of players may have contributed to players like Kevin De Bruyne and Mohamed Salah needing to move away from Stamford Bridge. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After a weekend which saw Everton leap above Manchester United, Rio and Joel open the floor to questions from listeners to analyse the club’s position and the reasons for their struggles.There’s questions about how patient supporters should be with manager Ruben Amorim, analysis of specific player’s performances like Rasmus Hojlund, Bruno Fernandes and Alejandro Garnacho.Rio also addresses the concerns of fans about the direction of the club since INEOS took a 28% stake and control over footballing matters and suggests a few things that could be done differently. Joel and Rio also discuss Maddison’s retort to Roy Keane after scoring the winner for Spurs over Keane’s former club and insight from the WhatsApp group that includes a number of ex Man Utd players who share their views on the club’s position in the league and the game in general. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rio is joined by Ste and Joel to review the performance in the victory over Leicester for Ruben Amorim’s side at Old Trafford. Rio discusses why players like Sancho, McTominay and Antony feel more ‘freedom’ after leaving the club and suggests a way to relieve pressure on the squad - could the same be true for Marcus Rashford at Aston Villa.New signing Patrick Dorgu’s specialist coach joins the podcast and reveals why the defender’s mentality and fitness are elite and there’s a debate about Roy Keane’s comments about not being able to ’trust’ Alejandro Garnacho.After Cristiano Ronaldo celebrated his 40th birthday, the trio claim that he is still being disrespected and discuss why they believe he is the most complete football player in the history of the game. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Manchester United’s young defender Leny Yoro sits down with Rio Ferdinand to discuss the art of defending, the challenging start he faced at the club and how the arrival of Ruben Amorim has impacted the way he’s adapted to life at Old Trafford. Yoro reveals what it was like finishing at school to go and face Kylian Mbappe, how he deals with the pressure of people suggesting he can reach Virgil Van Dijk’s level and discusses the best and worst fashion amongst his team mates. There’s a special shout out for Kobbie Mainoo who helped him settle at the club and Rio discusses the call he shared with Yoro when he helped persuade him to join Man Utd before he suffered an injury in pre-season. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.