Ferdinand reveals how he played through his 18 months of injury hell

London, Mar 21(ANI): Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has revealed the full extent of his back problem after he was summoned by manager Sir Alex Ferguson following the Liverpool defeat.

Ferdinand disclosed that he had visited 10 different specialists, received radical treatment of six spinal glucose injections, intense physiotherapy and an orthopaedic cushion to cure the problem.

"My back would go into spasm and I wouldn't be able to move. I couldn't straighten up properly. The day after a game I would waddle into the club like a duck, bent over like an old hunchback. I would be hobbling around, unable to train for four or five days," News of the World quoted Ferdinand, as saying.

"I would be OK to play the next game, but I must have missed 60-70 per cent of training. The initial diagnosis was that I had a muscular problem. I was doing core work and receiving massage and physio, but it wasn't what I needed. So my fitness deteriorated."

"But, as a footballer, you think you are super human; you don't think anything will stop you playing. I'd had the problem for 18 months, I played in certain games when my back was so stiff it restricted my movement," he added.

Ferdinand further stressed that he continued to play as he wanted to stay in the team and win trophies.

"To sort it for good would mean stop playing, but I was thinking: 'I'm getting through games, so why stop?' Not playing was unthinkable. I thought if I can patch myself up during the week to get through each game I'd be fine," Ferdinand said.

"If I'm honest, I didn't make it clear to the gaffer and the club physios that my injury was that serious. I just had an incredible desire to play football and had never had to deal with an injury of this scale before," he added. (ANI)