CLASSIC TV MOMENTS

RI's favourite defender Rio Ferdinand has shown his devotion to concentrating on his football career by producing a TV show to be shown after England's World Cup game against Paraguay. From the Sun

England star Rio Ferdinand has played a series of hilarious "Gotcha" pranks on his World Cup team-mates for a new TV show.

The Manchester United ace winds up crocked striker Wayne Rooney - who is told his dog has been KILLED.

Roo's fiancée Coleen McLoughlin plays along with the trick - before Rio bursts in to tell him it's a joke.

In another Candid Camera-style prank, fiery full-back Gary Neville's anger boils over when he is confronted by bogus traffic cops. Man Utd team-mate Ryan Giggs joins in on the gag as Gary is collared in the car park underneath his Manchester flat.

He fiercely protests his innocence, then Rio steps in with a camera crew to a tirade of abuse from his furious club colleague.

Joker Rio also plays a trick on beanpole forward Peter Crouch, who is set up in a fake property deal with salesmen flogging luxury houses in Dubai. Crouch's Liverpool team-mate and ex-England star Robbie Fowler takes part in the prank.

Rio, 27, spent months planning the elaborate stunts for the one-off TV show. He watched the pranks unfold on television monitors away from the action before revealing the truth to the victims.

An insider said: "Rio played an absolute blinder setting up his team-mates. He put a lot of time and effort into making each stunt work and they have come off brilliantly. "All the victims' England team-mates and friends were in on the blags and it was a nightmare trying to keep the show a secret. The reactions are hilarious when Rio finally steps in with a camera crew."

Last night Rio told The Sun: "Filming the 'hits' has been a great laugh, but pretty demanding. "I thought being a pro footballer was tough until I stepped behind the camera." The show is similar to MTV series Punk'd starring Demi Moore's toyboy lover Ashton Kutcher.

Rio is executive producer and presenter on the programme - the first to be made by his new TV company Next Generation TV & Film. He set up the firm with leading entertainment and football agent Chris Nathaniel, from NVA Management. Chris negotiated Rio's seven-figure autobiography deal and came up with the idea behind World Cup Wind-Ups.

Rio added: "When I had the idea for Next Generation TV & Film the first person I thought of was Chris.

"I knew he had the expertise to help me set up the company, and thankfully he jumped at it.

"Football has been very kind to me and has given me the financial freedom to try new things. Next Generation is the perfect vehicle for a part of my life that people might not necessarily know about."

Chris added: "Getting to this point hasn't been plain-sailing - but it's given Rio the chance to think about a future outside of football."