Bridge Quits England

So he was pissed off...

Quote :

Manchester City defender Wayne Bridge has announced he does not wish to be chosen for England duty, thereby ruling himself out of this summer's World Cup.

BBC Sport understands he is effectively retiring from the international scene.

In a statement released by his lawyers, Bridge, 29, said his position in the national squad had become "untenable and potentially divisive".

He has been in the spotlight over allegations that his ex-girlfriend had an affair with Chelsea's John Terry.

Terry was sacked as England captain by coach Fabio Capello earlier this month.

England face Egypt in a friendly at Wembley next Wednesday and despite reports earlier this week suggesting Bridge was considering his international future because he was unwilling to play alongside Terry, Capello believed he would be available for selection.

The Italian stated on Wednesday: "No, he will be with us. No problems about the other things."

FOOTBALL BLOG
Bridge's situation will elicit sympathy, but it is unlikely too much of it will be on offer from Capello and his thoughts will have moved on almost instantly

BBC Sport's Phil McNulty

However, Bridge's statement has shown the left-back remains troubled with the situation and read: "I have thought long and hard about my position in the England football team in the light of the reporting and events over the last few weeks.

"It has always been an honour to play for England. However, after careful thought I believe my position in the squad is now untenable and potentially divisive.

"Sadly therefore, I feel for the sake of the team and in order to avoid what will be inevitable distractions, I have decided not to put myself forward for selection.

"I have today informed the management of this decision. I wish the team all the very best in South Africa."

With the World Cup less than four months away, Bridge's decision leaves Capello with a selection headache over England's left-back spot.

Chelsea's Ashley Cole is already sidelined with a broken ankle and is a doubt for the tournament.

England's opening match is against the United States on 12 June.

Aston Villa defenders Stephen Warnock and Nicky Shorey, Everton's Leighton Baines and Manchester City's Joleon Lescott are all possible replacements.

Bridge decision terrible for Capello - Farquhar

Bridge, who has played for England 36 times and recently returned from a two-month lay-off with a knee injury, was a team-mate of Terry's at Chelsea before joining Manchester City last year.

The pair are due to meet on the pitch for the first time since details of the alleged affair were made public when City visit Chelsea on Saturday.

Former England and Manchester City defender Danny Mills said it was unfair to make a hasty judgement on Bridge's decision and that such a scenario was not unusual in a World Cup year.

"Fortunately, it's all hypothetical and until we are faced with that situation we all like to say we would do this or do that but until we get down to having to make that decision, I don't think we can judge," he told BBC Radio 5 live.

"We have to respect Wayne and his decision. It's been difficult, it hasn't been easy but he's made that decision now and it's something everyone has to get on with.

"The country gets so excited when England are playing in a big tournament like the World Cup and that's always going to be the case.

"At club level you always have one or two injuries or issues but with the national squad it gets magnified. Every country will be the same, they will all have problems, it's just how you cope with them, how you deal with them."

606: DEBATE
Is it fair on Bridge? What are the wider implications? Will John Terry bring a negative atmosphere to England?

footy_analysis

In the wake of Terry losing the captaincy and recent headlines concerning Ashley Cole's separation from wife Cheryl, Capello revealed he would stress the importance of team spirit and personal discipline when he talks to his players ahead of the friendly with Egypt.

"The World Cup is really important for me, for England and for the players," the Italian explained. "We have to stay together and compact in every moment. I think this will be my most important job - to recreate this spirit.

"We will talk about a lot of things because four months is a long time. If you can meet the players every month it is different. We will have two days to stay together but they are very strong days."

Leighton Baines wold be my choice for replacement

paul konchesky and lescott. Therefore one lb/cb and one lb. Easy

Baines or Warnock for me

Really hope he twats Terry at the weekend when City play Chelsea.

i was thinking that earlier, if Bridge and Terry are in a 50/50 situation for the ball it could get interesting

I can see a few of the City players giving him a bit of grief not just verbally but physically too in support of Bridge.
Might make a very interesting game this weekend.

set bellemy on the twat

Oh well,if Ashley is fit he'd be nothing but a bench warmer anyway, this whole story is boring now. Sorry Bridge you won't be missed (by me anyway)

Baines for me unless Cole makes it.

The worst thing about Bridge quitting is the media reaction(who surprised?), "Bridge turns his back on England", and all the implying he's letting his country down. FUCK THE COUNTRY, it will rip you apart if and when it feels like it anyway.

The media isn't annoyed that he "turned his back on England", they are annoyed that they have lost a whole summers worth of easy stories involving the "conflict" in the dressing room, and how its splitting the dressing room in two.

Good for Bridge, the media will have to find some other way of unsettling the England team while their at the world cup.

Real life > football

Capello should just have made it easy for him though and told Terry to fuck right off, who knows, he might even have learned some humility

It might only be me thinking this but at the end of the day its a job. Capello needs to pick the team to get the job done and in my opinion Terry needs to be at the world cup. so if i had to choose between Terry and Bridge, it is no contest.

I've heard people saying (not on this forum) Capello should drop Terry for for the friendly against Egypt to teach him a lesson. I think it is pointless because I think Capello will pick fringe players anyway.

I just want to add i think Terry is a twat for what he has done but he still has a job to do.

Is it a job though or an honour?

Football and the World Cup is different from doing a mundane 'don't wanna get out of bed' job the majority of the World has

Things like this can make or break a team, Terry might be talented, nowhere near as much as he thinks he is though, but if a lot of people don't like him because of this then it brings with it a negative feeling which sometimes can't be helped.

Taking him out could have brought the whole squad together, could have made them go out their and prove, he isn't important and isn't the be all and end all.

Wayne Bridge undoubtedly done the correct thing in walking away, anyone who says they could play (or work since its only a job) alongside someone who has shagged their mrs is either a liar or a fucking wimp

Chelsea is Terry's job. England is a bonus.

Bridge has done the right thing, for the team if nothing else. Don't think Terry should be dropped for shagging around, otherwise we'd have no internationals left!

Shagging around is acceptable, shagging a team mates (and close pals) mrs isn't

Moral will be well damaged

Meh, if players at a World Cup finals aren't going all out to win it, then they shouldn't be playing football full stop! And to be fair, if Bridge feels being in the team will divide the squad, then he's done the right thing in stepping down.

As for Terry, he did a proper cunty thing, but he shouldn't be dropped from the squad for it. he's lost the captaincy, Capello should have dragged them both into a room and told them that if they couldn't play in the same team he'd drop them both, but Bridge seems to have saved him doing that.

Who said Bridge wouldn't have been going all out to win it? its not lke he wouldn't have been trying, but who knows what he might unintentionally feel at certain times

It was a right cunty thing to do and I wouldn't be working or playing beside anyone who did it to me, I'd knock them the fuck out one way or another

Bridge did do the right thing but Terry shouldn't be going, not many apart from his arse lickers will respect him, fuck him

Respect doesn't come into it. He's not captain anymore. If they can play alongside Terry, then he should be in the squad.

(and to be honest, with his record surely they'd prefer him to be in the team hotel where they can keep an eye on him, rather than back home with their wives while they're in South Africa...)

I am interested to see whether the Man City England players like SWP and Barry shake his hand tomorrow though.

Respect has to come into it mate, no way could they go into a big tournament with some serious issues with him!

If he is shunned by the majority of the squad, or even just a large section of it its bound to cause friction

As for the Man City Players, I think they will, Barry probably doesn't feel he is a big enough English name and is fairly new at City and SWP I think is good pals with Terry, I hope the rest of the Man City players make it an obvious shunning of him though

Maybe Wayne Bridge will snap Terry's leg into bits tomorrow and this discussion will be irrelevant

Under previous managers, the respect thing would have been important. but with Capello, it's a different set-up - he doesn't pander to the players, they all call him Mr. Capello and he's made it clear that he'll bomb anyone who crosses him out of the squad. There have been other players who haven't got on and played together (Andy Cole and Sheringham at Man Utd are the first ones to come to mind, and I'm sure Beckham and Giggs had something between them for a while too), you don't have to respect someone to work with them. If Terry was still captain, then respect would come into it - as he's not, I don't see it as an issue.

Could you imagine the front page of the Sundays papers if Bridge did snap Terry's leg?!!?

Of course its an issue, its obviously an issue or Bridge would still be an England player!

Bridge is apprantly a popular figure, so if thats the case you can bet their will be plenty more who will have issues with Terry

Its not as simple as people just not liking each other like Sheringham and Cole, but you can bet if one of them mugged off the other one the way Terry did then Ferguson would have got rid of him

I don't really wanna see any player get a really bad injury, but the headlines would be off the scale

I think if this want a world cup year them Capello would of dropped Terry from the squad, but England need their best possible team in South Africa.

I agree that Terry isn't as good as he thinks he is but there isn't anyone better. Upson and Lescott aren't as good imo. Going on form, Leighton Baines and Paul Konchesky have done better than Bridge.

I can see either Mancini or Ancelotti, not playing Bridge or Terry.

I can't, they're Italians, they have a very different way of life than Britons, loyalty doesn't play as big apart in their culture as it does over here, over here its a fundamental component in our way of life, they probably have the right train of thought though to be fair.

Will we get a HBK/Bret Hart handshake and cuddle lol