Rio Ferdinand can get his 82nd cap for England after former captain John Terry shocking retirement from international football a few days back, according to a British newspaper.
According to the Daily Mirror, Ferdinand has never turned his back on his country, despite a Euro 2012 snub, and is believed to be prepared to accept the call of manager Roy Hodgson following Terry's retirement.
Such a situation could put Rio in the same dressing room as Ashley Cole, with whom the Manchester United man has also been feuding after the Chelsea left-back gave evidence in Terry's defence in the summer, when he was cleared of racially abusing his brother Anton Ferdinand during a match, the paper said.
Ferdinand is unlikely to shake Cole's hand when Manchester United play Chelsea this season, after the "Choc Ice" Twitter row, but that would not prevent the former England skipper playing again for the national team, the paper added.
The Old Trafford man, though, harbors doubts that Hodgson, who tried in vain to urge Terry not to end his international career before Sunday evening's announcement, will pick him even now, the paper further said.
But if he does, Ferdinand will expect the England manager to build bridges, after Hodgson left him out of his Euros squad and declared it was purely a football decision, the paper concluded. (ANI)
