Rio Ferdinand not about to retire for England
England captain Rio Ferdinand has said that only serious physical problems could stop him playing for his national team.
Ferdinand has not played first-team football on a regular basis since suffering a knee injury ahead of this year's World Cup.
The 31-year-old has made four appearances for Manchester United this season, and is set to make his England comeback in the Euro 2012 qualifier against Montenegro on Tuesday evening.
In light of the defender's persistent injury problems, Alan Hansen, a BBC pundit and former Scottish international, said that Ferdinand should consider retiring from the national team to focus fully on
his club commitments, an idea that Ferdinand rejected ahead of the game against Montenegro.
“To stop [playing for England] for me, personally, would be taking a big chunk out of my footballing life. I love playing for Man United and I’m thankful for that every morning when I wake up, but I do
for England, too," Ferdinand told the Daily Express. “Unless I’m physically incapable of doing it, it’s something I would not consider. It’s not got to the point where a doctor has suggested it."
Will not follow example set by United pair
English veteran Paul Scholes, who also plays for United, retired from international football after the 2004 European championships, choosing to focus solely on club football.
Another club teammate of Ferdinand's, Bulgarian striker Dimitar Berbatov, has also decided to retire from international football to focus on his career at United.
"People have done it. You respect their decisions," Ferdinand said about his teammates' decisions to prioritize club over country. "I won’t be one of them unless I am forced to through injury."
"I am working as hard as I can to make sure I am ready and fit and well for club and country. Retiring from my country is not something I think about."
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