EXCLUSIVE: John Terry didn't say sorry - the real reason Wayne Bridge quit England
Wayne Bridge made himself unavailable for the World Cup because
of John Terry’s failure to apologise, leaving him convinced he could
not spend any time in close
proximity to the disgraced former England captain.
Bridge
gave serious thought to walking away from international football from
the moment news broke of Terry’s affair with his recently estranged
partner, Vanessa Perroncel.
But when Terry showed no signs of
remorse in the statement he issued the day he was stripped of the
England captaincy — and in his conduct towards Bridge himself — the
Manchester City full back realised living in such close quarters to his
one-time friend and colleague for the duration of a tournament was
going to be impossible.
Right, I'm off: Bridge leaves Manchester City training after dropping his bombshell
The pair did have the briefest of exchanges, abruptly ended by
Bridge when he realised the identity of the caller. That did not stop
Terry telling senior members of the England coaching staff that he had
made contact in a vain attempt to allay their concerns and protect his
position as England captain.
Bridge still agonised over the
decision, his mind torn between the sense of responsibility he feels
towards his country and the sheer horror of having to deal with Terry.
A
shy man who has never felt comfortable with the celebrity status many
millionaire footballers enjoy, he also struggled with the idea of being
at the centre of so much media attention.
On Thursday, Fabio
Capello tried to persuade Bridge to remain an England footballer at a
time when a serious injury to Ashley Cole, and concerns over the
fitness and form of Rio Ferdinand, Terry and Glen Johnson, have left
the Italian facing a serious defensive crisis.
If Cole fails to recover in time for the World Cup, Capello regards Everton’s Leighton
Baines
or Aston Villa’s Stephen Warnock as the only serious options at left
back, although he may yet consider the versatile James Milner as an
option.
Bridge has been in regular contact with Capello’s assistant Franco Baldini, the man
who
liaises with the players on the England manager’s behalf. Baldini did
everything he could to assure Bridge that he still had a future with
England.
In a long conversation he told the player that the
management were extremely sympathetic to his situation and offered him
their full support.
‘No one can feel how Wayne feels at the moment,’ said a source close to the Capello
camp.
‘He was told it would be silly to give up an opportunity to play in the
World Cup but obviously he has changed his mind a lot in the last three
or four weeks. He has been thinking about it every day.
‘He
just cannot carry on with the scandal, so he has decided to give it up.
He was told how much we care about him. He’s a really nice guy. He was
told how disappointed we are with this decision.
‘But we wish
him all the best, and he knows the door is always open even though this
is apparently his final decision. You know how many left backs we have
fit and available? Baines and Warnock — that’s it.’
Unrepentant: Terry has refused to apologise to Bridge
Last night Capello said he hoped Bridge would have a change of heart. ‘I was flying
back from Milan when Wayne Bridge announced that he would not stay with us for the
Egypt match next week and also in South Africa for the World Cup,’ he said.
‘It
surprised me but I respect the decision of all the players. But the
door is always open for him. We have time. There are still three months
until I decide my final squad for South Africa. I hope Wayne Bridge
will be with us at the World Cup.’
In fairness to Bridge, a factor in his decision was putting the welfare of the England squad ahead of any personal ambition.
He
knew how much unwanted attention his inclusion would attract and he
could not be certain his presence alongside Terry would not prove
divisive.
So many questions: Capello has decisions to make
In a statement issued through his lawyers yesterday, Bridge said: ‘I
have thought long and hard about my position in the England 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, 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.’
Even this week, Bridge was left distinctly unimpressed by an interview Terry gave to a
national newspaper. Again there was no remorse. Just the self-obsessed nonsense of someone with no sense of responsibility.
‘I want to the win the World Cup and the Champions League and I’m not ashamed to say it,’ Terry declared.
‘I’m playing my heart out,’ he then went on, even if the evidence at the San Siro on
Wednesday
night would suggest otherwise. ‘I’m responding (to a situation of his
own making) by doing what I’ve always done; by looking straight ahead.
I’ve got broad
shoulders and nothing is going to knock me off my stride.’
As
someone who knows Terry said after he emerged from that brief encounter
with Capello at Wembley: ‘Remorse? John thinks it’s a detective John
Thaw used to play on TV.’
PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor said his union had tried to resolve the situation.
‘The
PFA offered to help and contacted both parties with a view to acting as
mediators,’ said Taylor. ‘But neither came back to us. I am surprised
and saddened that this matter could not be resolved.’
Bridge still intends to line up against Terry when Manchester City meet Chelsea at
Stamford Bridge on Saturday, a game Capello plans to attend.
But
Bridge’s absence from next week’s friendly at Wembley adds to the
problems Capello must contend with a mere three-and-a-half months
before the World Cup begins.
England qualified in style but
they have been seriously knocked out of their stride by the injuries to
Ferdinand, Cole and Johnson, as well as the loss of form suffered by
Terry recently amid concerns about his fitness.
Ferdinand would have been named captain next week and Capello still wants him to
report to the team hotel in Hertfordshire for the meeting the manager intends to have
with his players.
After the recent scandals concerning Terry and Cole, Capello will remind them of their responsibilities.
Yesterday
Sir Alex Ferguson said he did not object to Ferdinand travelling to
Hertfordshire despite the need for treatment on his chronic back
condition.
