The incredible talent that might have kept Rio Ferdinand more alert than waltzing football legends like Lionel Messi has been made public.

Despite being a ballet genius, the Manchester United icon preferred the Theatre of Dreams to the Theatre of Streams—that is, Swan Lake.

Rio Ferdinand has shifted from performing pirouettes to punditry.

Ferdinand may have been flung into a whirl via ballet, but she received a lift-off with the Red Devils, her with Diego Forlan and Rio Ferdinand.

The former England defender was well-known for his skilful out-of-back ball-carrying approach.

On the other side, if he had been awarded a special dancing scholarship, he could have become well-known for his grace and lifted feet.

Ferdy won 81 caps altogether, six Premier League titles, and one Champions League trophy during his twelve years with United.

Now that he has a past, there are references to Billy Elliott, the fictional youngster from the movie of the same name who became well-known for being a ballet dancer.

“I was given a scholarship to the Central School of Ballet, which was a big thing for a boy from a council estate in south London,” 45-year-old Ferdinand stated to the Guardian.

Although I had a great time, I eventually had to attend every day in order to audition for larger performances.

“I made the decision to ignore it and go with football.”

The former West Ham star excels in a variety of sports, most notably table tennis.

A few years ago, he also entered the ring for emotional health.

“I took up boxing for my mental health,” the TV analyst declared.

“At the time, I was going through a personal situation, so I needed to find something to distract myself.”

“People thought I was crazy. I was sparring with Olympian fighters five or six times a week, training relentlessly.

However, he believes that being denied a fighting licence by boxing leaders was a “blessing in disguise.”

Still, it seems less of a twist that he would throw his fists up to spar instead of his legs up to the ballet barre!