England departed for South Africa on Wednesday night as captain Rio Ferdinand revealed a simple formula for winning this summer's FIFA World Cup™.
Fabio Capello's squad have had to cope with discussion surrounding the fitness of Gareth Barry, the omission of Theo Walcott and Darren Bent from a 23-man squad and the renegotiation of Capello's contract. But Ferdinand, looking ahead to the tournament, cut straight to the chase.
"I want to just beat every team we play against, get to the Final and hopefully win it," he said. "I don't care who we beat on the way. There's no fear. The World Cup comes around every four years, I've been to three tournaments before this one and I've enjoyed every minute.
The manager's open, he'll take in what you say but not necessarily take it on board and use it.England's Rio Ferdinand on coach Fabio Capello
"It's just great to go out there knowing that you're one of the best players in your country, playing alongside the best players in the world, that's an achievement in itself," he continued.
Ferdinand also likened Capello to his club boss Sir Alex Ferguson when discussing his new role as captain. "The manager's open, he'll take in what you say but not necessarily take it on board and use it," Ferdinand said. "He's his own man and works the way he does - likewise the gaffer at United.
"Being captain won't change a lot in terms of the way I carry myself around the hotel or the way I am on the pitch. If something needs to be said, I'll want to say something in the changing rooms to anybody. If I think somebody needs to be told something I've always done that anyway, so being captain isn't going to change me, it's just part and parcel of who I am. It's a responsibility that I've done for my club and it's an honour, it will be a proud moment when I lead the team out at a World Cup," he said.
