Ferdinand pulls out of England squad
Reuters - Monday 18 March 2013, 13:22
Defender Rio Ferdinand withdrew from the England squad on Monday for
their next two World Cup qualifiers after telling coach Roy Hodgson his
pre-planned training regime would prevent him from playing.
Hodgson
named Ferdinand in his squad for the first time for the Group H
qualifiers against San Marino and Montenegro, but said when he announced
his squad on Thursday he had not spoken to the player first.
If he had done so, he might have avoided a potentially embarrassing situation following the 34-year-old's withdrawal.
Hodgson
had left the Manchester United centre back out of his Euro 2012 squad
for "footballing reasons" amid media speculation it was connected to the
John Terry saga.
In a
statement on its website, the English FA said the
decision to withdraw Ferdinand was taken following a meeting between the
player and Hodgson in London on Sunday.
Hodgson
said: "I'm disappointed Rio will not be available, but due to the
detailed pre-planned training and medical programme he must follow it's
not possible.
"However, I was
pleased that Rio called and asked to meet with me. It was important to
hear from him personally about the way he must manage his body between
games.
"I was impressed with
his commitment to playing for England and I look forward to hopefully
selecting him for squads in the future."
Hodgson
had said Ferdinand, who made the last of his 81 appearances for England
in a friendly against Switzerland in June 2011, was now the best man
for the job following a series of excellent performances for United over
the last few weeks.
Ferdinand made clear the withdrawal was not a snub.
"It
was important for me to be able to speak with Roy face to face and
explain the situation, and one thing I made clear was that my passion
and commitment to represent my country is as strong as ever," he said.
"It
is disappointing that I won't be able to play a part in the upcoming
games but I told Roy that I want to continue to be available for England
and I look forward to working with him in the future."
TERRY CASE
Later
he tweeted: "I'm gutted I had to pull out of England squad, but it was
the right decision for my intricate pre-planned programme."
Steven Caulker, who was originally named in Stuart Pearce's Under-21 squad, will now join the seniors.
Speculation
was rife that Ferdinand was left out of Hodgson's squad for the
European Championship after his one-time England central defensive
partner John Terry of Chelsea was accused of racially abusing
Ferdinand's brother Anton while Anton was at Queens Park Rangers.
Despite
Terry now having retired from internationals, meaning Ferdinand would
not have to play alongside him, media reports this month suggested he
may not accept Hodgson's call-up.
That
idea lost credence when his United manager Sir Alex Ferguson said after the
match against Reading on Saturday that the veteran would be joining up
with the squad, only for it not to transpire.
Ferdinand
became the third member of the original squad to withdraw following the
news from White Hart Lane on Sunday that Tottenham Hotspur pair Michael
Dawson and Aaron Lennon were both injured and would not be available.
As
well as Caulker being added to the squad, Manchester City defender
Joleon Lescott has also been called up for the games in San Marino on
Friday and Montenegro next Tuesday.
Montenegro lead the group on 10 points from four games with England second on eight.