Rio not dwelling on defeat

31 May 2009 12:25
Rio Ferdinand is looking forward to lining up for England after putting his Manchester United disappointment behind him. United successfully defended their Premier League title this season but were unable to do the same in Europe. Barcelona beat the Red Devils 2-0 in Wednesday's UEFA Champions League final in Rome and Ferdinand admits it was one of the worst losses of his career. But the defender realises he cannot afford to dwell on the defeat as he prepares for England's upcoming World Cup qualifiers. "I love playing for my country and I can't wait to pull on the England shirt again," he told the Sunday Mirror. "Losing the Champions League final is a bitter pill to swallow, but you have to be man enough to take the bad times with the good. "I have had some fantastic experiences with United and England over the last few years, so when you suffer a big defeat you have to accept it with good grace and get on with your life. "I am sure I will look back over the season over the course of the summer and think what might have been with United. But as far as England and the World Cup are concerned, it will be business as usual." England face Kazakhstan and Andorra in early June and Ferdinand is determined to help his country extend their 100 per cent record in Group Six. He added: "Playing for England in the World Cup can only ever be a good thing. "I will forget about losing to Barcelona. I will get everything about that defeat out of my system because I want to play in the World Cup finals again."

Source: SKY_Sports