England star Rio Ferdinand is one of the most clued-up footballers around, and the defender gave us his verdict on higher education.

Give youself options
Rio says: "If I hadn't made it as a footballer I'm sure I would have aimed higher and got some kind of qualification that would have enabled me to work behind the scenes somewhere in sport."

Joining the team
Rio says: "Not many people realise that when we run out onto the pitch there's a huge team behind us. Physios, dieticians, coaches and many more people are working hard behind the scenes to help us do well, and many of them have been to university."

Go for it!
Rio says: "You have to set your sights high in whatever profession you choose you choose to go into, and it should be no different when it comes to education. It would be fantastic to see more people from backgrounds like mine going on to uni and using higher education to come into these vital supporting roles."

Be prepared
Rio says: "A short career in football is not unusual and a bad injury can really set you back. A good education can improve your chances of being successful and getting a high-earning and exciting job."

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