Rio's rage! Ferdinand camp blast Hodgson over fresh Euro 2012 snub as Kop kid Kelly replaces Cahill

Roy Hodgson delivered the ultimate snub to a furious Rio Ferdinand on Sunday when he selected a defender who has played just two minutes of international football ahead of him for Euro 2012.

The England manager responded to the news that Gary Cahill had suffered a double fracture of the jaw in a collision with Joe Hart at Wembley on Saturday by calling Liverpool’s Martin Kelly into the squad.



That decision has left the Ferdinand camp fuming, with the player’s representative and friend Jamie Moralee branding it ‘disgraceful’.

Overlooked - again: Rio Ferdinand has not been called into the Euro 2012 squad despite injuries

‘Lampard, Terry, Barry, Gerrard; all ageing but they go to the tournament,’ said Moralee. ‘Why is Rio different? To treat a player that has captained and served his country 81 times (in this manner) is nothing short of disgraceful. Total lack of respect from Hodgson and the FA as far as I am concerned.’

Ferdinand was controversially omitted from Hodgson’s 23-man squad in the first place for what the manager described as ‘football reasons’. It was clear, however, that the fact that John Terry faces trial for allegedly racially abusing Ferdinand’s brother Anton had become an issue.

Manchester United defender Ferdinand also expressed his anger and disbelief via Twitter. ‘What reasons?????!!!’ he wrote pointedly.

Kelly made his debut in Oslo nine days ago as a substitute two minutes from time in the 1-0 victory against Norway. He had only been called in by Hodgson for experience to give the Chelsea contingent an extended break after their Champions League heroics.

Speaking out: Jamie Moralee, a representative of Ferdinand's has blasted the FA and Roy Hodgson (stock picture)

Poll Is Rio right to be angry with Roy over Euro 2012 snub? Yes No Is Rio right to be angry with Roy over Euro 2012 snub? Yes 5166 votes

No 3696 votes Now share your opinion





The FA tried to insist last night that Kelly was selected ahead of Ferdinand, subject to clearance from UEFA, for football reasons.

‘Kelly trained with the England players last week,’ said an FA statement.

By yesterday, however, Kelly was on holiday in New York while Ferdinand was at his Cheshire home, where he has been training after a charity game in Thailand.

The idea that a player, with so much international experience, and who has captained England, could not slot back into the squad was being questioned last night.

Former England skipper Gary Lineker said on his Twitter account: ‘Gary Cahill out. Time for @rioferdy5? No. Micah Richards then? No. How remiss of me, has to be Martin Kelly.’

Time for a break: Ferdinand has been away on holiday in Spain

Keeping fit: Ferdinand played in a charity football game in Bangkok

Richards’ omission is different. He refused to go on standby when informed he had not made the original 23-man party. But Hodgson may struggle to defend the decision to ignore Ferdinand for just ‘football reasons’ when Cahill’s setback, and the loss of Chris Smalling prior to that, leaves him with Terry, Joleon Lescott, Phil Jones and Phil Jagielka as his centre halves for the tournament.

Jagielka did not even make the original squad. He was called in on standby for the Norway game and promoted when Gareth Barry suffered a groin injury in Oslo.

Cahill’s news ended a desperate week, the new England manager having already lost Frank Lampard (thigh strain) and Barry.

Ouch! Gary Cahill suffered a double fracture to his jaw and will miss the Euros

What will particularly anger Hodgson is the manner in which Cahill sustained his fractured jaw. Belgium’s Dries Mertens sent Cahill crashing into Hart with a cynical shove.



Mertens said: ‘I sincerely apologise for the harm I’ve caused to Cahill. When in the heat of the moment, you often don’t think about the consequences.’

Terry also tweaked a hamstring on Saturday, but was given the all clear. Ferdinand, meanwhile, has decided to take his family away on holiday.