• World Cup

Lampard confirms he is England's vice-captain

ESPN staff
June 5, 2010
Frank Lampard will lead England into battle in Steven Gerrard's absence © Getty Images
Enlarge

Frank Lampard has confirmed that he will be England's World Cup vice-captain after Rio Ferdinand was ruled out of the tournament on Friday.

Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard will now skipper England in South Africa, with Lampard filling in should his long-term international team-mate miss any fixture.

"I am vice-captain," said Lampard. "I was told by the manager and Franco Baldini yesterday and I am very proud of that.

"Obviously I am very disappointed for Rio. He is a mate. But what can I do? I shall just try to give my input as a vice-captain."

Lampard, who witnessed the incident that injured Ferdinand at close quarters, revealed that he was fearful of the consequences as soon as the collision occurred.

"I was fearful for him because you could see the pain of the fall but also there was an element of fear," he said.

Elsewhere, West Ham defender Matthew Upson - a possible replacement for Ferdinand in the starting XI - was unable to train after reporting a high temperature. Although his illness is not thought to be serious, Capello erred on the side of caution and asked the player to rest.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
Close

ABOUT COOKIES

To help make this website better, to improve and personalize your experience and for advertising purposes, are you happy to accept cookies and other technologies.

More Info Here Cookie Choices