Rio Ferdinand to quit Manchester United

Long serving defender Rio Ferdinand has confirmed that he will quit Old Trafford at the end of the season. The centre back has decided to call time on his Manchester United career and hopes to make a move abroad. The defender's contract will expire in June and he will then be free to join another team.

The 36-year-old is considering a move to either Turkey, Italy or Greece as several teams all battle for the former England captain's signature.

Ferdinand will follow centre back partner Nemanja Vidic out of United, leaving a young core at the heart of Man Utd's defence, with just Chris Smalling, Jonny Evans and Phil Jones available.

Rio Ferdinand wrote on his Twitter account: "I have thought long and hard over the last few months about my future and, after 12 fantastic years playing for what I regard as the best club in the world, I have decided the time is right for me to move on."

"I joined Manchester United in the hope of winning trophies, and never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined how successful we would be during my time here. There have been so many highlights, playing alongside some great players who have become good friends, winning my first Premier League title and also that fantastic night in Moscow are memories that I will cherish forever."