Ferdinand inspired by Cantona

RIO FERDINAND revealed that he had been inspired by the example of Eric Cantona in coping with his own eight-month suspension as he prepared to make his long-awaited return for England.

Ferdinand missed 13 England games during his ban for missing a drugs test and will have noted the irony of the dope testers being present at the team hotel for random samples yesterday.

However, he returns for tomorrow’s World Cup qualifier against Wales as not only a stronger person, but also - he hopes - a better player having spent his time out analysing his game.

Ferdinand was not the first Manchester United player to have been suspended for such a long period with Cantona having been banned following his infamous kung-fu kick.

“United’s experience with Cantona definitely helped. I spoke to Roy Keane, the Nevilles and Ryan Giggs about the things Eric used to do and the atmosphere in training, although I didn’t speak to Eric himself,” he said.

Ferdinand took those lessons on board and, above all, has been determined not to feel sorry for himself, being boosted by thousands of letters of support.

He may have felt that an eight-month ban was an over-reaction by the Football Association, although others said it was too lenient, but he admits that he was at fault in failing to remember the test.

“Obviously the way it was dealt with was arguable, whether right or wrong, but that’s history.

“When I start talking about it, and hear some of the things that get said, I do get the needle, but when I’m by myself or with family and friends, I don’t think about it.”

Ferdinand was determined not to embark on a long holiday, instead choosing to pour himself into training, community work and self-analysis.

“I’ve had eight months to look at the way the team play and go through my game with a fine tooth-comb in terms of preparation for matches and adding stuff to my game,” he revealed.

“I’ve been working on my game. When you are in the stands, you can see things. I hope it will make me a better player.

“As a person, you also get more responsible. It has made me sharper around certain issues,” said the defender.