England not yet a factor for younger Ferdinand

Feb 11 2009 by Stuart Rayner, The Journal

THE mantra which guides Anton Ferdinand’s career – “I will believe to achieve” – is imprinted on his left forearm in black ink. But the possibility of representing England is something he clears from his mind.

While the various Three Lions squads are in Spain this week, Sunderland’s central defender will be at home. Too old for the Under-21s, not yet deemed good enough for the full cap many once saw as his destiny, Ferdinand’s only aim at present is to get his head down and concentrate on club football, rather than filling it with thoughts of joining his brother Rio on international duty.

“England is not something that concerns me right now,” said Ferdinand, who played 17 times for the Under-21s. “I’m not thinking about that and I’m just concentrating on playing well. If the opportunity comes along I will be happy, but all I am doing is thinking about playing well for Sunderland.

“If my form for Sunderland gets me into the England squad then fine, if it doesn’t I have to work harder and harder. If I did think about it I would get bogged down, I don’t want to get like that.”

Since joining the Black Cats from West Ham United for £8m in the summer, Ferdinand has shown the composure on the ball that has become a family trademark – and hitherto unrecognised leadership qualities. The feeling was that uprooting from his family to move to the Premier League’s second northernmost club would either

make or break the man who turns 24 a week today. He is pleased with how it has gone.

“I have settled in very quickly and I’m glad fans are saying I look composed,” he added. “Personally, although I like being composed on the ball, I know I am also an emotional character, an emotional player. I get emotionally involved when I’m playing for such a great club.

“Whenever we don’t win I’m probably the one who moans the most. Ask any of the lads, I hate it. I get on their backs when we don’t win. I want to achieve things and, even if I’m not at fault, if we lose I’m not happy.

“If you want to achieve something you have to sacrifice something. That’s the way life is.

“I’m desperate to achieve a great season with Sunderland and a good season for me personally. I have career goals but I keep them to myself.”

He explains the tattoo is a reminder of what he needs to do to reach those goals.

“I have had it for about four years,” he revealed. “It is something that came up when I was at school. There was a man called Terry McCarthy who I used to talk to, he used to take some of my lessons at Blackheath Bluecoat Church of England School and we’d chat about things, he was like a counsellor. He once said to me: ‘To achieve anything in life what do you have to do?’ I said, ‘You have got to believe in yourself.’

“So together we came up with the saying ‘I will believe to achieve’. Terry put that into my head and I have lived by that saying ever since.

“If you think about anything in life, not just football – if you want to be a great dad, a great lawyer or family man – you have to believe you can.

“If you don’t, you won’t do it and that phrase is something I keep telling myself.

“When you are a kid you go through lots of things and it was nice to have someone like Terry to talk to other than my parents, who were there for me through thick and thin.”

Ferdinand’s central defensive partner Nyron Nosworthy will soon be there for him, too, after returning to light training after a hamstring tear.

Midfielder Teemu Tainio also trained yesterday, having pulled out of Finland's squad for today’s friendly against Portugal with a knee injury.