Tuesday Feb 05 2008 09:10
Rio Ferdinand believes there are plenty of comparisons to be drawn between club manager Sir Alex Ferguson and new England coach Fabio Capello.
The Manchester United defender and the rest of his England team-mates were put through their paces by the Italian for the first time on Monday and Ferdinand was struck by the similarities between Ferguson and Capello.
Ferdinand has been mentioned as a possible first captain for Capello for Wednesday's friendly meeting with Switzerland with regular skipper John Terry absent through injury.
"There's a sense of awe about him definitely. You command respect with results," said Ferdinand.
"That's what my boss at Manchester United has got because of his work ethic and the ideals he manages by and that runs throughout the club.
"That is apparent with the new manager. There's a definite respect of what he has achieved and hopefully he can bring that to our nation.
"You want to be part of that new regime and in the training sessions I'm sure you'll see the players working hard.
"Everyone will be doing their utmost to make sure they become a part of the new regime."
Speaking about the possibility of taking the captain's armband, he added: "If anyone was asked if they would do the job I don't think you would get too many people saying 'No, it's not really for me'. It is the pinnacle of anyone's career.
"It is the stuff of dreams. But more importantly if we can get 11 captains out there on the pitch, people out there who are assertive and lead from the front, then we will have an opportunity to win things."
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