Anton: I'm Ready

Anton Ferdinand is ready to assume a man's role against Crewe in the absence of Christian Dailly and Andy Melville.

It is almost certain that Anton will play centre half - his ideal position - at Gresty Road and he says:

"Fingers crossed I can play Saturday and if I get the chance in that position hopefully I can take it with both hands.

"It is a big responsibility and hopefully the manager will have faith in me - and I feel ready."

A solid performance at the heart of the defence at the weekend would cap a good week for Anton, who made his debut for England U21s against Ukraine on Tuesday.

"I enjoyed it very much; to go out and play for my country and see that my family was there was an unbelievable experience for me - I just hope I am in the next squad," he says.

"I was shocked to be picked because I haven't really played that many games but I hope I did well on Tuesday."