My BAFTA's Still On The Kitchen Table!

Rio Ferdinand on heading to the World Cup and why winning a BAFTA is better than any football trophy

- Sean Merland & Selina Maycock

SPORT

Football: World Cup

SUNDAY / BBC1 / KICK-0FF 1PM

After representing England at two World Cups, Rio Ferdinand knows all about the pressure that comes when you play for your country on the biggest stage of all.

This week, the former Manchester United defender is in Russia, which is hosting the 2018 World Cup. But despite swapping the pitch for the BBC studio, where he’s working as a pundit, he’ll still be a bag of nerves when England kick off in their second Group G fixture against Panama on Sunday afternoon.

It has been a life-changing few years for Rio. He was devastated to lose his wife Rebecca, the mother of his three children (Lorenz, 12, Tate, nine, and Tia, seven) to cancer three years ago and opened up about the experience in his BAFTA-winning documentary Rio Ferdinand: Being Mum and Dad, which aired last year.

TV Times caught up with Rio, 39, before he travelled to Russia to talk about England’s World Cup prospects and where he’s been keeping his precious award…

You’ll be covering England’s first two games against Tunisia and Panama live on BBC1. How do you think the boys will get on?