Veteran defender Rio Ferdinand was the highest-profile casualty yesterday as England manager Roy Hodgson unveiled his squad for the European Championships.
After intense speculation about whether Hodgson would risk picking Ferdinand and Chelsea captain John Terry in the same squad, an announcement confirmed that it was the Manchester United centre-half who had been left out.
Terry had previously been tipped to miss out with Hodgson questioning whether the centre-half could exist happily in the same squad as Ferdinand, who has accumulated 81 caps since making his debut in 1997.
Terry is facing a July court case on allegations he racially abused Ferdinand’s younger brother Anton during Chelsea’s Premier League clash with QPR last October.
However, Ferdinand’s ability to withstand the rigours of a tournament campaign were called into doubt by his Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson last week, who questioned whether the defender could play two games in four days.
Hodgson said that Ferdinand’s omission was made “purely” on footballing grounds.
“He’s a player I respect as a person and a man. But I had to make a footballing decision.
“I had to decide on the basis of what I’ve seen in recent months,” Hodgson said.
“Rio only played once for England in the last year... I can only hope that he accepts my decision.”
Meanwhile, Hodgson defended his decision to pick Terry, saying his looming court case had not figured in his calculations.
“If we take the court case first of all – we must emphasise that he’s an innocent man until such time as he’s been proven guilty,” Hodgson said.
“I was given a free hand. I realised when I selected him (Terry) there would be people who would raise their eyebrows. But I think he’s played well and he’s played an important part in their FA Cup victory and reaching the Champions League final.”
Hodgson, meanwhile, confirmed Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard would captain England at the Euros.
Other notable selections yesterday saw Arsenal teenager Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain earn his first senior call-up after a promising first season with the Londoners.
Earlier in the day, the FA said Hodgson had scrapped plans to take the squad on a four-day training camp to Spain next week ahead of their May 26 friendly with Norway.
England will now train at Manchester City’s stadium before heading to Oslo on May 25.
The squad
Goalkeepers: Hart (Man. City), Green (West Ham), Ruddy (Norwich).
Defenders: Johnson (Liverpool), Jones (Man. United), Terry (Chelsea), Lescott (Man. City), Cahill (Chelsea), Cole (Chelsea), Baines (Everton).
Midfielders: Walcott (Arsenal), Downing (Liverpool), Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal), Gerrard (Liverpool), Barry (Man. City), Lampard (Chelsea), Parker (Tottenham), Young (Man. United), Milner (Man. City).
Forwards: Rooney (Man. United), Welbeck (Man. United), Carroll (Liverpool), Defoe (Tottenham).