Roy Hodgson has apologised to Rio Ferdinand after discussing the defender’s England future with London Underground passengers.
The England coach admitted he told commuters that the Manchester United defender would not be in his latest squad, a day before it was announced.
But he denied saying Ferdinand’s England career was over.
Hodgson issues Ferdinand apology
Hodgson said: “I’m disappointed that a story like that came out and I apologise to him.”
On Thursday morning the Daily Mirror reported details of Hodgson’s exchanges with passengers as he travelled to watch Arsenal play Olympiakos in the Champions League on Wednesday.
“I have to say it is over for him and England. It has got to be the end of the road,” Hodgson was quoted in the paper as saying.
But Hodgson, speaking at an England news conference, said: “Of course I didn’t say that Rio’s career was over.
“What I remember saying is 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’. But I think that’s about as far as I went.
“But I shouldn’t say that of course. That’s a mistake and I need to apologise for that.
“But this is one of the hazards I suppose of travelling on tube trains which is the best way for me to come into London – and then speaking to people on the tube train who ask me questions rather than sitting there tight-lipped refusing to ever open my mouth.
“I’ve paid for it. I shall learn in future, and maybe this will be a lesson for all those people who see me on the tube.
“Please don’t be too offended if I refuse to answer any questions you ask me.”
Hodgson said he had tried to speak to Ferdinand since the story was published. “I will apologise to him because there’s no way I would ever indicate I wasn’t going to use a player in that way,” he said.
“But the thing is, I didn’t choose him in the squad this time, and it’s for the same reasons as before. We have other players, but certainly I’m not suggesting it’s the end of the line.
“I would never dream of telling a player when its the end of the line or whatever I’m supposed to have said. That’s up to the player to decide for himself, and hopefully that won’t be the case.
Rio Ferdinand’s England Career
- Born : 8 November, 1978
- 1997: Makes England debut v Cameroon at Wembley
- 1998: Named in squad for 1998 World Cup finals but does not play
- 2000: Left out of Euro 2000 squad
- 2002: Scores first England goal in 1-0 win over Denmark at 2002 World Cup
- 2004: Banned for eight months after missing a drugs test
- 2006: Plays five games at World Cup in Germany
- 2008: Captains England for first time in defeat by France in March – loses out to John Terry in battle for permanent skipper role
- 2010: Terry is stripped of captaincy and Ferdinand is given the armband but injury rules him out of the 2010 World Cup
- 2011: Makes his 81st appearance in a Euro 2012 qualifier against Switzerland
“When I speak to him I’ll make it clear I haven’t selected him – who knows if I will select him in the next one – but it would be up to him whether he wants to be a part of it or not.”
Ferdinand, who has won 81 caps, last played for England in June 2011 and was left out of the Euro 2012 squad for “footballing reasons” .
The following month England team-mate John Terry was cleared in court of racially abusing Ferdinand’s brother Anton.
Following Terry’s international retirement,ahead of a Football Association disciplinary hearing last week, there was speculation that Ferdinand, 34, could return.
Ferdinand made his England debut in 1997 and has played in three World Cups, representing his country under five different managers.
On Wednesday it was announced that Stoke defender Ryan Shawcross, Everton’s Phil Jagielka, Chelsea’s Gary Cahill and Joleon Lescott of Manchester City are the central defenders named in Hodgson’s squad for next week’s World Cup qualifiers with San Marino and Poland.
