RIO ENGLAND CAREER OVER

  • Posted on: 26 September 2012

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has said that he thinks that the international career for the defender Rio Ferdinand is all but over. The Manchester United defender was not selected by England manager Roy Hodgson as part of the squad for the Euro 2012.

Many thought that it was a selection made due to the controversial presence of John Terry in the squad. However, at 33 years of age, Ferguson reckons that the former Liverpool manager decided to omit Rio Ferdinand from the squad due to his age concerns. Ferguson has also said that he is not expect Rio Ferdinand to be picked for the upcoming 2014 World Cup qualifiers. The latest Football betting odds agree with Sir Alex.

There might have been a case of the selection of Rio Ferdinand after the injury to Gary Cahill prior to the start of the tournament. However, Roy Hodgson decided to call up the inexperienced Liverpool defender Martin Kelly in his place, which has all but signalled the end of his international career according to Ferguson. The former Leeds United defender has won 81 caps England national team, while he has been a major presence within the team in the last three major tournaments. However, he does not have any international titles to show for.

Even though he is not picked for England, Ferguson has said that Ferdinand has the capability to play until 37 years of age. "I don't think [Ferdinand will play for England again]. I can't see it. It's not on his agenda either. He's 33 now and wants to be fit for us. As a centre-back if you look after yourself you should play until you're 37. Rio had a terrific season for us last season. He probably played his best football for us for a long time because he was playing quite regularly. The last two years he'd been playing for a week, out three weeks, then coming back," Ferguson told reporters.