Dark side of Rio Ferdinand

People were always saying to me I was going out too much and I'd just ignore them." Former West Ham manager Harry Redknapp warned Ferdinand he was not taking his footballing "seriously enough".

In 1997, he was caught drink-driving after celebrating his selection for the England squad. The result: banned from driving for a year, fined £500 and dropped from the squad. Ferdinand was dropped from the England squad again for Euro 2000 after a drunken holiday with England midfielder Kieron Dyer. The pair videoed themselves having sex with a series of girls. After signing for Leeds in November 2000, for £18 million, Ferdinand was made captain and began to blossom under manager David O'Leary.

His World Cup performance in Japan prompted Manchester United to pay a British record fee in July last year. Ferdinand seemed to be settling down and turning into a positive role model. He campaigned for the trust set up to remember Damilola Taylor, the young boy murdered close to Rio's Peckham home, and he worked with children's charities.

His mother Janice is credited with instilling a strong sense of selfdiscipline in the player. Family friend Kate Goodwin, wife of Dave Goodwin, who managed Ferdinand between 11 and 15 in the Blackheath District Team, said: "She kept him on the straight and narrow."

Ferdinand would appear to be missing his mother's influence. In April, the other side of Ferdinand was seen again. While giving evidence at Leeds Crown Court in the trial of a man accused of indecently assaulting a barmaid, the player admitted going on a drinking binge and jumping on a parked Land Rover. During the court case he also admitted drinking champagne with a convicted drug dealer known as Reds, but denied knowing about his criminal past.

In a separate case he was banned from driving for six months after being caught speeding for the third time in three years. In June he was accused of manhandling a hotel employee at England's training camp in Spain. In Manchester, executives are understood to be "very disappointed". He has been described by some as arrogant and has recently missed a number of club-organised appearances. At the same time his form has dipped.

Referring to Harry Redknapp's advice, Ferdinand said: "I always felt able to combine socialising with football, thought I could handle it. I'd have said Harry was wrong, but he was right." Now it seems Redknapp's fears for his protegé were well founded.