RIO'S PHONE WAS ON

A News of the World investigation suggests that Rio Ferdinand did not have his mobile phone switched off on the afternoon he missed a drugs test.

The newspaper has published a print-out which they allege to be of his calls that day.

This clearly shows that he sent a text message to a Stockport medical centre at 12.39 and to his friend Manchester City player Eyal Berkovic one minute later followed by a call to him at 1.09. He also apparently phoned his girlfriend Rebecca Ellison at 1.22.

He did not phone to reply to urgent texts from his club doctor until just after two o’clock.

According to the report Ferdinand has not yet provided the FA with the requested evidence of his mobile calls. At the recent hearing it is believed that a major part of his case for not returning to take the test was that he was not contactable.