England captain Rio Ferdinand said being dropped by Kevin Keegan for Euro 2000 helped him to be a better player.
Rio Ferdinand, who has endured similar disappointments himself, will telephone the seven players who fail to make the cut for Fabio Capello's 23-man World Cup squad to offer his own commiserations.
The defender, then an emerging force at West Ham and having gone to the 1998 World Cup, was left out by Kevin Keegan ahead of Euro 2000 with the national coach opting instead to include the experienced Gareth Southgate for the tournament in Belgium and the Netherlands. Ferdinand, now the England captain, will urge his omitted team-mates to emerge stronger from the experience. Capello intends to confirm his selection on Monday by calling all 30 members of his squad before announcing his selection on Tuesday.
“I've been there, I've had that talk, that conversation where they say you're 'not experienced enough', 'not good enough', or however they want to dress it up,” Ferdinand said. “You are not getting that chance to go on the plane and to have that said to you is not a nice thing, but I've been there and I've got the experience to deal with that. When the time comes I'm sure we will deal with it in the right way but the manager is top-drawer and I'm sure he will sort it out.
“I was left out for Euro 2000 and it took me that summer to get over it. I was devastated but I went back to training, was a better professional, trained harder and became a better player and I say that for the younger players [left out this time] to probably do that as well. Being left out was probably a blessing in disguise. It made me re-evaluate myself and the way I looked at football. I probably hadn't given the game the respect it deserved; that experience made me a better professional, so I should thank Kevin Keegan for that. The guys have to turn it into a positive.”
Capello has one final opportunity to assess fringe players, in tomorrow's friendly against Japan, before trimming his squad from 30 to 23. He will consult the national set-up's medical staff, as well as those at Manchester City, upon the squad's return from Austria before determining whether Gareth Barry is to gain inclusion having been encouraged by the midfielder's recovery from ankle ligament damage to date.
The England manager expects to have all 29 players currently with him in Irdning available for selection for the game in Graz and intends to play all four of his Chelsea contingent and David James, rested against Mexico on Monday, at some stage of the match. He may be tempted to experiment with Jamie Carragher at right-back – the first-choice, Glen Johnson, has had a tight groin – and will consider the merits of Michael Carrick or Tom Huddlestone alongside Frank Lampard.
Carrick was disappointing against Mexico but, in the anticipated absence of Barry until the second group game in South Africa at the earliest, could be granted another opportunity to impress, with England intent upon implementing the pressing game they lacked at Wembley on Monday.
Steven Gerrard, who had required treatment on a calf problem yesterday, and Stephen Warnock, previously troubled by an ankle injury, were both able to play some part in today's squad's light training yesterday though the midfielder did not complete the session. The entire squad, with the possible exception of Ledley King, are expected to train tomorrow as they attempt to impress Capello ahead of the Japan fixture.
“For some people, it's going to be a nervous few days,” added Ferdinand. “It is pressure: you want to do well and you want to be on that plane to South Africa. I've got the experience of three World Cups previously, so nerves wouldn't really kick in for me. But for some people it may do given they've not had the experience of being in that situation before.
“A few people consolidated their positions on Monday. The manager will make his own decisions, but the Japan friendly is another chance to implement his thoughts and ideas. We all want to show him what we can do.”
© Guardian News and Media 2010
