City stars look to tempt Bridge

MANCHESTER City’s England contingent are trying to persuade team-mate Wayne Bridge, right, to reverse his decision to quit the national side.

Bridge made himself unavailable for England selection last month following newspaper reports of an affair between his former girlfriend and his ex-Chelsea team-mate John Terry.

Bridge said the alleged affair had made his position in the England set-up “untenable and potentially divisive” but his City team-mates have not given up hope of persuading him to change his mind in time for this summer’s World Cup. City and England midfielder Gareth Barry said yesterday: “Time can change people’s opinions sometimes and hopefully that will happen with Wayne. He doesn’t want to sit down in a few years’ time and regret anything. I think there have already been conversations between the lads and Wayne and there could be a time when we see what he’s thinking and may put our opinion across.”