RIP: Tragic update from gardaí as search for missing boy (14) is stood down
Search
14 Dec 2025
Search
14 Dec 2025
Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content.
Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist.
If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter .
Support our mission and join our community now.
To continue reading this article, you can subscribe for as little as €0.50 per week which will also give you access to all of our premium content and archived articles!
Alternatively, you can pay €0.50 per article, capped at €1 per day.
Thank you for supporting Ireland's best local journalism!
Rio Ferdinand has announced he is leaving his role as a pundit with TNT Sports to focus on his business interests.
The former Manchester United and England defender has been part of the broadcaster’s punditry team for a decade but will stand down after its coverage of Saturday’s Champions League final.
“Since retiring from football, it has been a privilege talking about the game I love for a decade for sports fans watching BT Sport and TNT Sports,” he said in a statement published on his X account.
Statement: After ten incredible years, I have made the difficult decision to step away from @tntsports after the Champions League Final…. pic.twitter.com/71A9EJPBye
— Rio Ferdinand (@rioferdy5) May 28, 2025
“I want to acknowledge the tremendous support from the team behind the scenes, whose hard work often goes unseen but has been essential to our success.
“As I turn the page to the next chapter, I carry with me countless memories. I am excited about what the future holds, spending more time with my family, focusing on Rio Ferdinand Presents and my other business interests.
“I hope to stay connected with you all in different capacities. Thank you once again for everything!”
Sources close to TNT Sports have told the PA news agency that this is an amicable parting of ways, and that the door is being kept ajar for future opportunities.
Ferdinand first announced he was working as part of the BT Sport team in May 2013, with BT rebranding as TNT Sports in the summer of 2023.
The 46-year-old has become a regular part of the presenting line-up for the broadcaster’s European club football coverage but is now set to spend more time working on his personal content channels.
His Rio Ferdinand Presents YouTube channel currently has 1.32 million subscribers.
Ferdinand will sign off as part of TNT’s presentation team for the Champions League final between Paris St Germain and Inter Milan in Munich on Saturday.
Earlier this month Ferdinand was forced to miss a number of matches after being hospitalised by what he later described on his YouTube channel as a “mad virus”, admitting at one point he thought it was “lights out” for him.
Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie
Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles.
Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm.
This publication supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice of the Press Council. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at www.presscouncil.ie, Lo-call 1800 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie.
