World Cup qual. - Ferdinand not keen on Almunia

Eurosport - Thu, 09 Oct 09:20:00 2008

Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand does not want Arsenal's Spanish goalkeeper Manuel Almunia to play for England.

FOOTBALL 2007-2008 Premier League Arsenal Almunia - 0

Ferdinand was speaking from England's training camp ahead of World Cup qualifiers against Kazakhstan and Belarus, where West Brom's Scott Carson and West Ham's Robert Green are providing back-up to number one shot-stopper David James.

"That's for the FA to decide but I'm sure if he was picked for Spain he would play for Spain in front of England," Ferdinand said of Almunia, 31, who has expressed an interest in switching allegiances.

"So if that happens I don't think it's really working right.

"So if Spain had picked him now and he had a choice of playing for Spain or England who is he going to pick?

"I'm sure he'd pick Spain so that means he is not English."

Almunia has been in England for over four years and is eligible to play for the country as his wife is English and he has never played for Spain.

James, 38, is prone to making errors but so are the less experienced Carson (23), Green (28) and Blackburn Rovers' Paul Robinson (28), while injuries have restricted Chris Kirkland (27) to just over half of Wigan's league games since he joined in 2006.

Owen Hargreaves is currently the only foreign-born player in contention for Fabio Capello's squad.

Reda Maher / Eurosport

Comment 66 - 85 of 85

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  1. im not keen 2 he can not get in the spain team but play 4 england do 1 .....................

    From billiebdj, on Tue 23 Dec 9:03PM

  2. Rio should shut up.

    From ayomoshe2, on Thu 23 Oct 4:41PM

  3. when the desirable is not available, then the available became the desirable. both the english FA and capello knows the best option to their goal keeping crises is Almunia, so Rio Ferdinand should shut up.

    From Kamalu A, on Thu 23 Oct 12:24PM

  4. Why the hell Rio is talking about almunia he can't even remember to take drug test and talk about other. guys he might even forget where is his own net and score an own goal sorry I don't trust him

    From saroj, on Fri 10 Oct 11:37PM

  5. rio shut up u cant even take of ur own team so i cant see y ur chatting!!!

    From ryan.ali@..., on Fri 10 Oct 8:51PM

  6. oh and for the record Vidic is the real hard man in the united defence..a vegetable could partner that guy and look good.

    From elwoodgooner, on Fri 10 Oct 7:37PM

  7. Take care of your own lot Rio, you forgetful wide boy !

    From elwoodgooner, on Fri 10 Oct 7:29PM

  8. you have to wonder whats gone wrong with our goalkeepers. for years our keepers were regarded as amongst the best in the world, banks, shilton, bonnetti, clements, seaman the list just went on and on. but now the fact that we're even discussing a foriegn keeper shows that something aint right... is it because theres isnt enough "glory" attatched to being a keeper, that youngsters aren't keen to take that up position....

    From doggs, on Fri 10 Oct 6:31PM

  9. For all the people saying that Almunia's situation is the same as Barnes or Hargreaves, it's not. Both Barnes and Hargreaves have either parents or grandparents that are English. Therefore they are blood relatives to English. Almunia has just arrived in England 4 years ago and married an English girl. He has no English ancestry. Its not the same at all!
    For all the people saying he would be the best choice for England anyway, Ben Foster is due back from injury at some stage in November and when fit would be Englands best goalkeeper by a distance, but I would also rate Carson, Green and Kirkland as a similar standard to Almunia, they just need experience.
    My last point, to all the people saying Ferdinand was caught taking drugs etc, get your facts straight! He was banned because he "forgot" to go to his drug test, not because he failed one. He actually took the test a couple of days late and passed. He also is an absolutely fantastic centre back. As someone already mentioned he was named twice in the FIFA World Cup team of the tournament. You also just have to look at Man United's dip in form during his drug ban.

    From owens.greg@..., on Fri 10 Oct 2:11PM

  10. its not your bisinuse rio!!! who ask u? plz shot up!!! ;)

    From Mamdal, on Fri 10 Oct 11:23AM

  11. i'm English so i think i can play well:(Almunia)

    From mean_maroon, on Fri 10 Oct 5:19AM

  12. please separate two things:
    1. the desire to play for one country is player right (in this case is Almunia)
    2. the decision whether you will selected or not is coach/manager authority (in this case Capello)

    so I can't see Rio taking part of this matter. Master-dodo and anyone who has same opinion: SHUT UP!!

    From muhamad, on Fri 10 Oct 3:11AM

  13. SHUT UP RIO!!!TAKE CARE YRSELF!!

    From muhamad, on Fri 10 Oct 2:55AM

  14. Almunia is the best goalkeeper in the premier league at this point in time. So, why not giving him a chance to end up this crisis of a reliable goalkeeper?
    The man is good. He deserves it!

    From paulongongo, on Thu 9 Oct 11:11PM

  15. what hapens whit other english goalkepers
    they deserve to have chance for playing for their own country

    From martinatanasovski@..., on Thu 9 Oct 10:40PM

  16. WHAT HAPPEN TO BEN FOSTER

    From Gavin, on Thu 9 Oct 9:53PM

  17. shot up Rio!who asked you

    From ezuo j, on Thu 9 Oct 8:45PM

  18. And err, hammerhiem75, Rio was banned for taking drugs, he failed a drugs test and missed a whole season,get your facts right.

    From clivewilliamson@..., on Thu 9 Oct 8:26PM

  19. Oh, and is David James really 38 years old? I thought he was about Paul Robinsons age! Oh well, and why hasn't Kirkland recieved the chance, he's reliable and I've never seen him make a mistake in his whole career.

    From clivewilliamson@..., on Thu 9 Oct 8:24PM

  20. We have amazing goal keepers already, but they only play that well when playing for club, not country. James and Carson both make mistakes for England all the time. If Almunia can remain cool in an England shirt, why not choose him? He may be the solution to our GK problem.

    From clivewilliamson@..., on Thu 9 Oct 8:21PM
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