Rio Gets Skipper Reward

I was as critical of Rio Ferdinand as anybody when he missed a drugs test. I’ve been critical of him since then, too. But I’m glad he’s been given his turn at the England captaincy. I think he deserves his chance. The missed drugs test was five years ago. He served his punishment for that and has move on. He’s also in the form of his life for Manchester United. His display against Fernando Torres on Sunday was breathtakingly good. John Terry would still be my choice as permanent skipper, but giving Rio a shot at the captaincy is a fair reward for his recent consistent excellence.
Oliver Holt, The Mirror