Hodgson loses cool and bans talk about Rio for England

Posted Friday, February 08, 2013 by The Sun

ROY HODGSON has angrily banned any further debate about a recall for Rio Ferdinand.

The England boss lost his cool at suggestions there should still be a place for the Manchester United star and said: “It seems to me that every other day I have to answer questions about Rio.

“We’ve just beaten Brazil for the first time in God knows how many years.

“I don’t want to talk about him. I’m not prepared to talk about people who weren’t there when we’ve just beaten Brazil.”

Ferdinand, 34, and capped 81 times, is on top of his game and would play for England again if asked.

Pal Frank Lampard, who fired a superb winner in the 2-1 victory over the 2014 hosts at Wembley on Wednesday night, is still going strong and is five months older.

Hodgson has never picked Ferdinand and cited “football reasons” when he omitted the centre-half from Euro 2012 even though the suspicion was he did not want him and John Terry in the same dressing room.

But Terry has quit England and none of Hodgson’s five pairings have really clicked.

Gary Cahill struggled against Brazil, while partner Chris Smalling is behind Ferdinand in the United pecking order.