Ferdinand recalled for England

Rio Ferdinand has been recalled to the England squad for the World Cup qualifiers against San Marino and Montenegro. The Manchester United defender's last England appearance was in the 2-2 draw against Switzerland in June 2011. Ferdinand, 34, has 81 caps, having made his debut against Cameroon in 1997. "It's a no brainer. We need a good centre-half. It's not really much more complicated than that," said manager Roy Hodgson. "There's no sinister connection withis lack of selection in the past. "He's playing well, his team are doing extremely well and this is the moment to select him because he deserves it on current form. "Hopefully he can help us win the next two matches because that's the most important thing." England play San Marino on Friday, 22 March, before travelling to Montenegro on Tuesday, 26 March in a game which could dictate who wins Group H.