‘I chose football over ballet’: Rio Ferdinand

The pundit, 45, on dance auditions, racism in football, and taking up boxing

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.

I had a great childhood. When I look back now with my friends, it’s full of laughs and jokes. There was a real mix of backgrounds and cultures. I wish kids now could have a childhood like that, without the judgment of social media. A lot of parents are highly protective of their kids and rightly so. We were allowed to go out and navigate the world with freedom.

I go to soft play with my kids. I take my daughter horse riding. When you’re a young man, you can go out clubbing every week with no responsibilities. You don’t think about what will happen when you have kids and what you might do with them. But do I miss those days? No.

My kids can’t beat me at football. In fact, I don’t let them beat me at anything. That’s the way you’ve got to be: tough love.

Racism is a societal problem. Any discrimination in society creeps over into other industries. Football is no different. We want to see improvements, but it’s not football’s duty or job. Education is at the core. It needs to be put in place in schools and homes for young people to be influenced in a positive way.

I probably had a kebab about three weeks ago. A mixed shish. When did I last have a hangover? Two days ago, after a friend’s wedding.

I put things in place before I retired so that I had three or four different lanes I could go down. Boxing was one of them. Finding the right time to start implementing them is the key.

I took up boxing for my mental health. I needed to find something to take my mind off a personal situation that was happening at the time. [Ferdinand’s first wife, Rebecca Ellison, died in 2015.]

People said I was mad. I was training obsessively five or six times a week, sparring with Olympic fighters. But when I applied for my licence somebody had just passed away after a fight and the governing body rejected me. It was a blessing in disguise.

What I worry about the most is my kids. And I see my family as my biggest achievement. Having five children and being happily married puts me in the fortunate column.

You can really smell the history at Windsor Castle. I went with my wife, Kate, and my dad. I was definitely proud to receive an OBE. It means you’ve been recognised for the work you’ve done throughout your career. To be recognised for doing well in any industry is a proud moment.

Rio Ferdinand teamed up with McDonald’s and BBC Children in Need to promote the smile disappearing from Happy Meal boxes in aid of this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week