Ferdinand calls time on Manchester United career

Rio Ferdinand will leave Manchester United FC when his contract expires at the end of next month.

The former England defender announced the news on his website, saying: "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."

Ferdinand moved to Old Trafford from Leeds United AFC in July 2002 for a then British record £30m. The ex-West Ham United FC player won six Premier League titles, two League Cups, the 2007/08 UEFA Champions League and one FIFA Club World Cup during his 12 seasons in Manchester. He made the last of his 455 appearances for the 20-time English champions in the 1-1 draw with Southampton FC on Sunday.

The 35-year-old established a successful centre-back partnership with Nemanja Vidić following the Serbian international's arrival in January 2006. Like Ferdinand, Vidić will also bid farewell to United this summer, having said he would do so in early February and subsequently signed a contract with FC Internazionale Milano.

Capped 81 times by his country, Ferdinand, who made only 12 league starts in 2013/14, added that he is "feeling fit and healthy, ready for a new challenge and looking forward to whatever the future holds for me".