AFP/Kiev
Wayne Rooney insists England can mount a serious challenge at the European Championship despite the mood of pessimism surrounding Roy Hodgson’s injury-hit squad.
Injuries to key players and a suspension which rules Rooney out of England’s opening two games have left many observers thinking Hodgson’s men will do well merely to advance from Group D.
However Manchester United star Rooney is refusing to write off England’s chances as they prepare for Monday’s daunting opener with in-form France after touching down at their Krakow base camp on Wednesday.
“We are trying and no-one should even think we are just turning up,” the 26-year-old told the BBC’s Football Focus in an interview.
“Sometimes when you lose, you have to hold your hands up. But when you look at our squad, I don’t see why we can’t win it.
“There have been a lot of changes but I will expect big things.
“If other people don’t that is down to them. But we are good enough to get in semi-finals and finals. That is the aim.” Rooney is sidelined from England’s opening games against France and Sweden following his moment of madness in the final qualifying game against Montenegro last year when he was red carded for lashing out at a defender.
Rooney, who first shone on the international scene with his performances
at Euro 2004, admits he has come to terms with his punishment, which was reduced from a three-match ban following an appeal.
“It is the price I have to pay for making that mistake,” Rooney told BBC TV’s Football Focus. “It happened and I have to accept it. I will just prepare myself as if I was playing and hopefully come back into a winning team.”
Rooney meanwhile praised the impact Hodgson had had on the squad after only two games in charge. “Already you can see he is very organised, which is something we have lacked during my time with England,” he said.
“It is great to have an Englishman in change.”
Anton Ferdinand plays down Rio’s England exile
London: Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand has refused to add his voice to the growing protest against older brother Rio’s omission from England’s Euro 2012 squad.
England manager Roy Hodgson insisted he left Manchester United centre-back Rio Ferdinand out of his original squad for the tournament solely for “football reasons”.
But there has been intense speculation the 33-year-old’s absence was due to the presence in the squad of his regular England central defensive colleague John Terry.
Chelsea captain Terry will stand trial in July on charges of racially abusing Anton Ferdinand during a match against QPR in October and many reports said Hodgson was keen not to select Rio to avoid a potential dressing room rift over the issue.
Ferdinand reacted angrily on Sunday when he learned he had been over-looked again by Hodgson, who called up Liverpool’s inexperienced Martin Kelly instead of the United centre-back after Gary Cahill was forced to withdraw from the squad with a fractured jaw.
However he has promised to support England in the tournament and Anton, speaking to ITV’s Daybreak breakfast television programme, said Thursday: “Things happen in football.
“It’s a game of ups and downs. I am sure he’d like to be there but sadly it didn’t happen this time. “But we move on and, like he said, he’s going to follow them from somewhere else and, as a family and as a community, we’re going to do that.” Football Association chairman David Bernstein is determined not to let the controversy overshadow England’s participation in the tournament—hence his decision to strip Terry of the England captaincy, which in turn prompted the resignation of then manager Fabio Capello. “We’re here to talk about the tournament, about the 23 players who are here and I’m not prepared to discuss - at all - any players who are not here,” Bernstein said. Krakow on Wednesday.
