Queens Park Rangers defender Rio Ferdinand has been hit with a three-match ban and fined £25,000 by the Football Association for comments that he made on social media.

The 35-year-old has also been "severely warned as to his future conduct and ordered to attend an education programme, arranged by the FA within four months".

Ferdinand was charged with misconduct on October 14 after it was alleged that he "included a reference to gender" in a comment that he posted on Twitter.

The former England captain, who joined QPR from Manchester United over the summer, has nearly six million followers on the social media site.