Hodgson sorry over Rio Ferdinand’s England snub
5 Oct 2012 3:26 AM GMT
England manager Roy Hodgson has publicly apologised to Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand after a private conversation about the demise of the defender’s international career was published in an an English national newspaper.
Hodgson did leave Ferdinand out of his squad, announced on Thursday, for World Cup qualifiers against San Marino and Poland, but admits he owes an apology to the experienced centre-back, who has won 81 caps for England.
‘I have tried to speak to Rio and I am very disappointed that the story has come out like that and I apologise to him because there is no way I would ever indicate I wasn’t going to use a player in that way,’ Hodgson said.
‘I didn’t choose him in the squad this time and it is for the same reasons as before, we have other players. But certainly I am not suggesting it is the end of the line.
Hodgson has yet to speak to Ferdinand despite several attempts to contact him, adding: ‘All I remember was that I was talking to quite a lot of people on the Tube and one guy said ‘Is Rio in the next squad?’ and I think I might have said ‘I don’t think so’.
‘I think that is about as far as I went. But I shouldn’t say that of course. It’s a mistake and I need to apologise for that,’ said he. Hodgson has picked up the England squad for WC qualifiers.
Hodgson did leave Ferdinand out of his squad, announced on Thursday, for World Cup qualifiers against San Marino and Poland, but admits he owes an apology to the experienced centre-back, who has won 81 caps for England.
‘I have tried to speak to Rio and I am very disappointed that the story has come out like that and I apologise to him because there is no way I would ever indicate I wasn’t going to use a player in that way,’ Hodgson said.
‘I didn’t choose him in the squad this time and it is for the same reasons as before, we have other players. But certainly I am not suggesting it is the end of the line.
Hodgson has yet to speak to Ferdinand despite several attempts to contact him, adding: ‘All I remember was that I was talking to quite a lot of people on the Tube and one guy said ‘Is Rio in the next squad?’ and I think I might have said ‘I don’t think so’.
‘I think that is about as far as I went. But I shouldn’t say that of course. It’s a mistake and I need to apologise for that,’ said he. Hodgson has picked up the England squad for WC qualifiers.
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