Professional peak
Ferdinand cemented his reputation as one of the planet's toughest defenders at the 2002 World Cup.

Playboy peak
Ferdinand hit his stride in 2005 when he was named Britain's Best Dressed Man in an annual survey by GQ magazine. "He is the unlikely hero of the hour, a footballer who takes himself just seriously enough," said Dylan Jones, editor of GQ's British edition. "He is a clotheshorse in the best sense of the word and has got great dress sense." To date, Ferdinand has appeared in a number of high-profile ads, including popular campaigns for Ben Sherman.