Bridge turns his back on England
Manchester City defender Wayne Bridge has turned his back on England after deciding the fall-out from John Terry's alleged affair with his ex-girlfriend has made his position in the team untenable.
Bridge released a statement through his lawyers on Thursday confirming that he did not wish to be selected for Fabio Capello's squad for this year's World Cup in South Africa because his presence would be potentially "divisive".
The former Chelsea left-back has been considering his international future since reports of Terry's affair with his former partner Vanessa Perroncel, a French underwear model with whom he has a four-year-old child, first came to light.
Terry was stripped of the England captaincy by Capello as a result of the scandal and the Italian had thought Bridge would continue to play for his country.
With first choice left-back Ashley Cole out with an injury, Bridge would have lined up alongside Terry in the England defence in Wednesday's friendly against Egypt at Wembley.
But the 29-year-old, who is due to face Terry for the first time in City's clash with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, feels that is an impossible situation for him to contemplate.
It had also been claimed Bridge still feels so hurt by Terry that he may not even shake hands with the Chelsea captain during the pre-match pleasantries this weekend.
"I have thought long and hard about my position in the England football team in the light of the reporting and events over the last few weeks," Bridge said in his statement.
"It has always been an honour to play for England. However, after careful thought I believe my position in the squad is now untenable and potentially divisive.
"Sadly therefore I feel for the sake of the team and in order to avoid what will be inevitable distractions, I have decided not to put myself forward for selection.
"I have today informed the management of this decision. I wish the team all the very best in South Africa."
Although Bridge has not formally announced his retirement from international football, it seems that he would not consider coming out of his self-imposed exile unless Terry is no longer involved in England action.
Terry, who has looked distracted during recent error-strewn displays for Chelsea, will now have to play with the extra burden of knowing his actions have resulted in someone he used to class as a close friend missing the World Cup.
Capello has yet to comment on Bridge's decision, but Football Association chief executive Ian Watmore told Talksport he is happy to let the Italian deal with the situation.
Watmore said: "We leave all the playing decisions to him (Capello). I absolutely don't back seat drive the England team.
"I'm sure he and his people will have been talking to Wayne Bridge overnight on the announcement and will have been talking to him regularly as they do with all the England players."
With Cole sidelined for three months due to an ankle injury, Bridge's decision leaves Capello without both his first-choice left-backs and he will now turn to Aston Villa's Stephen Warnock or Manchester City's Joleon Lescott instead.
Warnock, 28, was named in Capello's squad for the recent friendly defeat to Brazil but his only international experience amounts to six minutes as a substitute against Trinidad and Tobago in June 2008.
Capello is already without Manchester United centre-back Rio Ferdinand, who has a back problem, and Liverpool right-back Glen Johnson, sidelined with a knee injury.
Terry could lose England football role
John Terry's future as England captain was called into question on Saturday when newspapers responded to reports about his infidelity by demanding for him to be stripped of the captaincy.
The centre-back, who also captains Chelsea, was named on Friday as the sportsman behind a gagging injunction involving his private life.
A judge at London's High Court subsequently lifted the order and Saturday's papers were full of accounts alleging that Terry had an affair with the ex-girlfriend of former Chelsea team-mate Wayne Bridge, Vanessa Perroncel.
The Daily Telegraph's chief football writer Henry Winter, a prominent member of the England press pack, led the calls for Terry to hand in the captain's armband.
"I like Terry, the one natural leader in the England dressing room, a player so passionately committed to the cause of St George that he willingly endures jabs just to get his stiff back through games, but this really is an embarrassment too far. It's time for him to stand down," Winter wrote.
His words were echoed by The Independent's chief sports writer James Lawton, who said Terry's misdemeanours would not be taken lightly by England coach Fabio Capello.
"Capello is the most strenuous of disciplinarians, a fanatic for professional rigour in all matters," he said.
"Claims of carrying on an affair with a team-mate's girlfriend is surely not Capello's idea of the self-control and example and heightened sense of camaraderie implicit in the assignment."
The Sun, the country's most popular daily, claimed that Bridge was so distraught by news of the affair that he was contemplating retiring from England duty.
"... Bridge told pals he did not even want to be picked for England's next friendly match (against Egypt) in March," read The Sun's article on the affair.
"The Sun understands that not only is Terry's betrayed best mate refusing to talk to the Three Lions skipper any more -- but he is considering quitting international football entirely."
Bridge played with Terry for six years during his time at Chelsea before leaving to join Manchester City in January 2009.
The left-back is widely expected to be called into Capello's World Cup squad as cover for Terry's Chelsea team-mate Ashley Cole.
Speaking at the time of Bridge's departure from Chelsea, Terry said: "He'll be missed. It's a shame to see one of the lads go who you have grown up with and been with for a long time."
Terry was named England captain by former England coach Steve McClaren in August 2006 and Capello confirmed he would continue in the role shortly after the Italian took charge in August 2008.
Current vice-captain Rio Ferdinand and his Manchester United team-mate Wayne Rooney have been touted as the favourites to replace Terry as skipper if Capello, a renowned disciplinarian, decides to strip him of the captaincy.
England begin their World Cup campaign against the United States in Rustenburg, South Africa on June 12.
