Taylor: Ferdinand case timing is 'massive problem'

Players’ chief Gordon Taylor has expressed his frustration over the time the case of Rio Ferdinand’s missed drugs test has taken.

The Football Association hearing into why Ferdinand failed to attend a routine test in September begins at the Reebok Stadium on Thursday.

Taylor, the chief executive of the Professional Players’ Association, believes Ferdinand’s chances of a fair hearing may now have prejudiced.

Taylor told talkSPORT’s Sports Breakfast programme: “It was September when this happened. It is now nearly the end of the year and it is not over.

“This is a massive problem. It has been out in the public for people to decide his punishment.

“It is not good enough for the FA to say they didn’t know this was happening because it did happen in February when another player’s confidentiality was kept. Rio has been named and shamed.”

Taylor fears there is now “so much pressure” on the FA to consider banning Ferdinand and is disappointed with the way FIFA president Sepp Blatter has openly expressed his opinions.

He added: “FIFA is being pressured by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Initially football said it did not have the problems of athletics and cycling with performance-enhancing drugs but there is pressure now.

“Blatter has changed from saying there is not a problem to saying there is a problem. He’s been in touch with the FA and expressed his opinions in public. It is like someone from the House of Lords going to the papers and saying if a certain judgement is not passed we’ll intervene. It’s not the sort of justice we want.

“If you look at the law of consistency, there was a previous case and even WADA says you should not name and shame an individual until there has been a hearing.”