Rio Ferdinand has claimed his children have 'more freedom' in Dubai than in the UK after returning to his £6.5million mansion in the United Arab Emirates having fled at the beginning of the war with Iran.

The former footballer, 47, and his wife Kate Ferdinand, 34, escaped Dubai in March after 'scary' Iranian drones forced them to shelter in the basement of their grand seven-bedroom mansion. 

They took refuge at their holiday home in Portugal, before heading to London for work and family commitments and then jetting to the Maldives for a holiday.

Last month the pair returned 'home' to Dubai to their ultra-modern 12,700 square foot home which boasts a sprawling garden and a pool. 

The ex-England defender also put his lavish £10.5m mansion in Orpington, Kent up for sale in April in a move that appears to signal he has quit the UK for good.  

The pundit relocated to the tax-free emirate in August, revealing he wanted a 'new journey' with influencer wife Kate and their children.

Ferdinand has repeatedly taken aim at the UK’s tax system since his move to Dubai, condemning tax rises and questioning whether Britain’s crumbling public services justified the burden placed on high earners. 

Now, he has revealed his children Tia, 14, and Cree, five, prefer the futuristic Middle Eastern city to the UK.

He told The Times: 'My kids are having a real life adventure in Dubai. My eldest daughter is 14. She loves that she's got a bit more freedom here than she would have in London.

'My five-year-old boy likes that he gets to play more football. The kids are absolutely loving the outdoor-living aspect.' 

The couple claimed Dubai now feels like 'home' after returning to the war-torn city.

Speaking to local newspaper Khaleej Times last month, Kate said: 'We all feel very safe in Dubai. But it was actually good for the system to be away for a while and have a little holiday. We are happy to be home.'

Rio added: 'Whenever I do talk to people, I always say I am going home. Dubai is home.'

Asked on LBC Radio in December whether higher taxes were behind his decision to move abroad, he pointedly replied: 'If things like the health service, for example, was absolutely flying and working perfectly well then I think people wouldn’t mind paying tax. 

'But when there’s things that are falling apart and going wrong in the country, then I sit there and go, we pay towards tax and is it really going towards the things that are actually benefiting the people that live here? 

'And that’s the big question that needs answering. I think a lot of us know the answer to that.' 

Ferdinand, who was a pundit with TNT for a decade but quit last year, has spoken glowingly about his new life in Dubai, where he said his family feel 'valued' and happier.

The former defender lives with Kate and their three children, whom he had with his late wife Rebecca Ellison, in a luxury bolthole in one of the state's high-end suburbs.

Speaking previously about the move, Ferdinand said: ‘In Dubai, it feels like they’re valued and the lifestyle means that they’re happy and vibrant with a good energy for the kids. Lifestyle, safety, weather - it’s just a new life.’

He added: 'I love England and I’m a patriotic guy in that sense, but a new journey, a new chapter, something different, I think is a refreshing new chapter in my life.'

Kate, a fitness influencer who found fame on reality show The Only Way Is Essex, had previously spoken about being homesick.

Speaking on the couple’s Blended podcast in February, she said: 'Rio loves it so much. I am enjoying it, but I miss home quite a lot. I get upset. I miss the big boys a lot and I'm just struggling with that.

She added: 'I feel like we've opened our eyes to a different world. But I love London, I love the UK. I love so many things about the UK.

'I do feel happy in Dubai, but I'm just missing a part of me.'