Van der Vaart surprised by Ferdinand's England snub

Netherlands midfielder Rafael van der Vaart admits he was surprised to find out that Rio Ferdinand was left out from the England squad for the Euros by newly appointed manager Roy Hodgson. The Tottenham Hotspur play maker said:

It surprised me because I think he’s still one of the best defenders in England, and maybe in the world. Of course, he’s a little bit older now, but he’s still fit and fresh and he played for Manchester United.

England are going into the tournament as underdogs and the loss of Gareth Barry, Frank Lampard and Gary Cahill due to injury has not helped improve their chances at the tournament that will be jointly hosted by Ukraine and Poland. However, Van der Vaart believes they still have a strong squad that can cause a few upsets. Van der Vaart added:

They still have a great team. It’s a pity for them that Lampard is injured, but they have so many good players. They have a new manager, so maybe they’ll play a little bit different now. England are always a danger to play against.

Meanwhile, the 29-year-old wants his club manager Harry Redknapp to extend his contract at the Lane. Redknapp has just a year left on his current deal and was strongly linked with the England job after Fabio Capello was sacked. The Dutchman believes that Redknapp is vital if Spurs are to compete in major tournaments.

Yeah, his presence is vital. He is doing a fantastic job, so I don’t see any problems. I think he’s going to sign a new contract – I hope so – and I think it’s also good for every team when they have a manager who’s there for many years. So I hope he stays.