Fit Ferdinand ready to lead England
Rio Ferdinand says he is mentally and physically ready to captain England at the World Cup after enduring an injury-hit season with Manchester United.
The 31-year-old centre-back made only 21 club appearances in a season disrupted by back injury.
However, he said: "All being well I'll be in tip-top condition come the first game. I'm training hard and have three weeks to get into the World Cup groove.
"How can I not be refreshed? I'm used to playing 40, 50 games a season."
Fitness permitting, Ferdinand will lead England against the United States in Rustenburg on 12 June as he begins his fourth World Cup campaign.
Speaking before England's final World Cup warm-up match on home soil, against Mexico at Wembley on Monday, he said: "I have not played anywhere near that amount this year, so I will be going out to the tournament in good condition.
"I am definitely buzzing. I spoke to my missus this morning and my little boys demanded to have England flags on the car and stuff like that. We can't wait to get into fever pitch."
Ferdinand was an unused squad member 12 years ago in France when England were knocked out in the second round on penalties by Argentina.
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He did however feature in the following two tournaments in 2002 and 2006 where England suffered quarter-finals losses to Brazil and Portugal.
And he will use the disappointment of those exits to guide his side in South Africa, while looking to build on the confidence brought by a qualifying campaign where the only dropped points came with a 1-0 defeat against Ukraine after qualification had already been assured.
"There is a confidence," continued Ferdinand. "But maybe we have been a bit naive in the past and got ourselves caught up in all the emotion that surrounds our country going to a massive tournament.
"People say we are going to win it. But we have respect for the other nations as well.
"Being captain is a fantastic honour and a responsibility that I warm to. But it is not something that is going to change me. I will conduct myself in exactly the same way.
"Even before I was made captain, the younger players knew I was an easy-going guy who they can approach which, in a way, is more important than being captain.
"When you have been to tournaments, you are more capable of being the kind of person that a younger player might need to speak to."
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