Captain of Manchester United Football Club, Rio Ferdinand raring to lead England
The instrumental, inspirational, industrious and ever reliable captain of Manchester United Football Club, Rio Ferdinand has taken the next step in his life when he will step into the Wembley Arena, leading his England troops. There is nothing bigger and better than leading your country on the international stage, especially when the football World Cup is at stake. The feeling gets even better and the Manchester United captain is ready and raring to go.
Ferdinand did not have a good season this year at the club level. The player was out for the most part of the season with a back injury. The defender only made 21 appearances for his side that was responsible in parts for United’s poor show in the league. However, now is the time for the World Cup and by not playing so many matches this season, it can be a blessing in disguise. The newly elected England captain will be fresher than all his teammates who have played at least twice the number of games than their captain.
Ferdinand thinks he is mentally and physically ready for the challenge to help his side win the trophy that his country has not won since the 1966 triumph of Sir Bobby Charlton and his boys. Ferdinand will start his stint as the captain of the three lions tonight when he leads his men out into the Wembley Arena to face Mexico and he feels this new step-up could not have come at a better time in his life.
Ferdinand was quoted as saying, “All being well I'll be in tip-top condition come the first game. I'm training hard and have three weeks to get into the World Cup groove. How can I not be refreshed? I'm used to playing 40, 50 games a season. I have not played anywhere near that amount this year, so I will be going out to the tournament in good condition. I am definitely buzzing. I spoke to my missus this morning and my little boys demanded to have England flags on the car and stuff like that. We can't wait to get into fever pitch."
England will kick start their World Cup campaign against the United States of America in Rustenburg on June the 12th. More so, after being handed a relatively easier draw; they look favorites to win their group which features Slovenia and Yugoslavia. Ferdinand has played in the three previous World Cups as well where he was an unused substitute in the game against Argentina in France 98. However, Ferdinand was part of the playing side when his side lost in the quarterfinals of the next two campaigns against Brazil and Portugal in 2002 and 2006.
Ferdinand will use the experience gained from those disappointing exits in the previous campaigns to guide his side in South Africa. On the other hand, he will be taking the confidence from a highly successful qualifying campaign. The pre-tournament round saw his side losing only once to Ukraine and that too in the last game when his side’s qualification was already assured.
He said, “There is confidence, but maybe we have been a bit naive in the past and got ourselves caught up in all the emotion that surrounds our country going to a massive tournament. Even before I was made captain, the younger players knew I was an easy-going guy who they can approach which, in a way, is more important than being captain”.
Rio claimed that once a player has played in tournaments such as the World Cup, one is more capable of being the kind of person that a younger player might need to speak to.
England fans are hoping for a good result. With a massively experienced and talented squad, they have a very big chance of finally making it happen this time around. Rio Ferdinand will be leading his side that is the best possible choice as captain for England at the moment. It’s time that all the players’ work in tandem to win a trophy that their country has craved for so long.
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