Fer ‧ di ‧ nand, Ri ‧ o /ˈfɜːdənænd, ˈfɜːdɪnænd $ ˈfɜːr-, ˈriːəʊ/ BrE AmE
(1978–) a British ↑ footballer who was bought by Manchester United in 2002 for £30 million. This was the highest price a British club had ever paid for a ↑ defender at the time. He has also played for the English national team. He was ↑ ban ned from playing for eight months after he forgot to attend a DRUGS TEST (=test that shows if someone has taken illegal drugs) in September 2003.