Rio Ferdinand has been forced to take refuge in his Dubai basement alongside his family as missile strikes hit the region, leaving the former Manchester United defender feeling “scared” during what he described as “frightening” circumstances.
The 47-year-old ex-England captain and his loved ones have found themselves locked down amid escalating military tensions across the Middle East.
Ferdinand, who relocated to the UAE from Britain last year, expressed genuine fear as the dangerous situation unfolded around them.
The family has been sheltering together as conflict in the region intensifies following recent military operations.
Ferdinand resides in the UAE with his 34-year-old wife, Kate, and three of their children: five-year-old Cree, two-year-old Shae, and his 14-year-old daughter, Tia.
His elder sons Lorenz, aged 19, and Tate, 17, chose to stay behind in the United Kingdom when the family made their move, opting to concentrate on pursuing their football careers.
The current crisis stems from US and Israeli bombing campaigns targeting Iran, which have triggered retaliatory strikes across multiple locations throughout the region, with the UAE among those affected.
Ferdinand has spoken openly about the level of fear he is experiencing during these troubling times on his show Rio Ferdinand Presents.
Rio Ferdinand has been forced to take refuge in his Dubai basement alongside his family as missile strikes hit the region
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He said: “Been a different week for me, not going to lie. Firstly, I’m in great condition this morning as the whole family did a workout.
“A bit like in Covid, the whole family is doing things we wouldn’t usually be doing together. Home-schooling a bit today.
“It’s frightening when you hear missiles, planes and fighter jets – I don’t know what it is – going above us, and you’re hearing big bombs, and what that is we don’t know as we don’t know the details of what they are.
“It’s telling your kids what it is and helping them navigate through this moment, which is important especially as the dad of the house. You want to try and remain calm and keep everybody as calm as possible.”
The family relocated to the UAE from Britain last year
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Ferdinand added: “I’ve got to be honest guys, it’s been a bit of a scary situation.
“But at the same time, weirdly enough, I’ve felt very secure and looked after. My studio has become my bunker.
“We were advised to go into the basement on the first night that all the noise started and we were down here sleeping with duvets and stuff.
“We are utilising the space wisely.”
Iran has targeted Dubai, where a quarter of a million UK nationals live | REUTERSHis wife Kate took to Instagram on Sunday to give an update on their situation.
She wrote: “Thank you for all of your messages and sorry for the silence, I haven’t wanted to worry you all. I just haven’t been able to find the words. We are safe.
“The government are doing an amazing job of keeping it that way and, despite my nerves, I feel we are in very safe hands. We are hoping for a calmer evening tonight, last night was very scary.
“Although Cree and Shae loved it as they couldn’t believe we all got a sleepover in the basement. Thank you for all of your prayers, this whole experience is very eye-opening and I am praying for anyone affected. Lots of love to everyone.”