SURPRISE TWIST
Man Utd legend Rio Ferdinand reveals he could have been professional DANCER but chose football instead
Ex-England defender explains why he took tough decision to reject rare scholarship
RIO FERDINAND has revealed the amazing gift that could have kept him on his toes even more than waltzing football icons like Lionel Messi did.
The Manchester United legend chose the Theatre of Dreams over the Theatre of Streams - well, Swan Lake - despite being a ballet prodigy.
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The former England defender was known for his grace carrying the ball out from the back.
But he could have been famed for his elegance carrying his feet high - had he accepted a rare dancing scholarship.
Ferdy ended up with 81 caps, plus six Premier League titles and one Champions League success in 12 years with United.
Now he's explained a background with hints of Billy Elliott, the fictional kid from the same-named movie who became a ballet star.
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Ferdinand, 45, told : "I was given a scholarship to the Central School of Ballet, which was a big thing for a boy from a council estate in south London.
"I had an amazing time, but it got to the point where I’d have to go every single day to be able to audition for bigger productions.
"It was my decision to come away from it and choose football."
The ex-West Ham ace is skilled at other sports, too, notably table tennis.
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And he also stepped into ring for emotional well-being a few years ago.
The TV pundit said: "I took up boxing for my mental health.
Rio Ferdinand fears Marcus Rashford will need to leave Man Utd as he warns struggling star has brutal decision to make
"I needed to find something to take my mind off a personal situation that was happening at the time.
"People said I was mad. I was training obsessively five or six times a week, sparring with Olympic fighters. "
But he reckons it was a "blessing in disguise" when boxing chiefs turned him down for a fight licence.
Yet choosing to fling his fists up to spar rather than fling his legs up to the ballet barre still seems less of a... twist!
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