Rio Ferdinand – Rio’s First Find
For the second year, Nike has launched its global search for young footballing talent. Called The Chance, the competition is spearheaded by Barca boss Pep Guardiola and supported by an international scouting network that comprises some of the most distinguished names in football, from Laurent Blanc to Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
Here in the UK, scouting duties fell to Manchester United and England defender, Rio Ferdinand, who kicked things off by turning up unannounced, for a half-time pep talk at a rainy, muddy game on the outskirts of Manchester. His role, to pick the player who would head straight to The Chance national trials. We were there to film the whole thing.
Rio did not take his responsibility on the day lightly. He selected a player who stood out not just for his technical ability and velvet touch, but for his selfless running and dedication to the cause — for his hunger.
The film was launched by Rio on twitter, and Mr Rooney tweeted it too.
It was also posted across facebook, and Rio featured it on his app.
To date the film has had over 500,000 views across all channels, and applications for the Chance are totting up.
Find out more at NikeFooball.com
