Source: Eurosport
Rio: England must learn from Fab
Rio Ferdinand feels England's players must 'suck up' all Fabio Capello can teach them if they are to end their 43-year trophy drought.After an encouraging 2008, England take their first steps into 2009 on Wednesday with a friendly against Euro 2008 winners Spain.Although he will ensure his key players do not spend too long on the pitch in recognition of big matches they must play for their clubs over the next few weeks, Capello sees the encounter as a perfect chance to assess the progress being made.But Ferdinand feels his Three Lions team-mates need to learn from Capello himself if they are to continue to improve."There is a confidence in the team that we are going in the right direction," said the Manchester United defender."The manager has got a winning mentality and his record speaks for itself."Each time we meet up, the lads are seeing why he has been such a winner in club football."We need to suck up all that experience and hope it puts us in a position to win something with England."Although Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard and Theo Walcott are missing through injury, Capello will still be able to put out a strong starting line-up.If David Beckham is part of it, the 33-year-old could be making his 100th start in an England career which would match Bobby Moore's 108 caps, a record for an outfield player.Yet rather than rejoice at the magnificent milestone, Beckham's many critics are using it to attack him, suggesting the former Three Lions skipper does not deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as Moore.As a graduate of the West Ham academy, Ferdinand needs little reminding of Moore's special place in English football.But he does not see why it should be used as a tool with which to beat Beckham."I don't understand why people argue against him," said Ferdinand."It's just because it's Becks. He has become such a big personality in the entertainment world, so people think he doesn't deserve it."But you do not play for Milan, Manchester United and Real Madrid without being a good player."He's been through five or six England managers, so he must be doing something right."There's no taking away what Bobby Moore was - an icon of English football who lifted the World Cup. Becks going past his record will not detract from that."[LNB]
