By DPA,
Johannesburg : Tottenham defender Michael Dawson arrived in the England World Cup camp in South Africa Saturday as a replacement for injured captain Rio Ferdinand, saying he was ready to “take his chance”.
The 26-year-old was planning to go on holiday when he received the call Friday after Ferdinand suffered knee ligament damage in a training session.
“It’s a crazy game and things can change in a split second,” said Dawson, who missed out on a place in Fabio Capello’s original 23-man squad.
“One minute I’m trying to arrange my holiday, then I get a call asking if I was on holiday because Rio had pulled out of training.
“I said no and then I was just waiting by the phone before getting a call saying I would be picked up in an hour. It’s been a crazy day.
Dawson, who enjoyed a superb season as Tottenham finished fourth in the English Premier League, said he had huge sympathy for Ferdinand but that he would be working hard to get in the side for England’s first match, against the United States, on June 12.
“For Rio to get injured, there would be no worse feeling for him as a player,” Dawson said. “To miss the biggest tournament in the world as the captain, I feel for him.
“I missed the Carling Cup final in 2008 and there was nothing anyone could have said to me that could have made me feel any better. For Rio, the feeling will be the same, but it’s a chance for me now.
“I’ve not had time to think about it but I’ve had call after call with people wishing me good luck.
“I know all the lads through having been with them for two weeks so I’ll just be going out there and training as normal.
“I was planning to watch the first game of the tournament with my friends and family, but now I’m going to be there for real.
“I’ll be going out there still having not yet won a senior cap, so where better place to get one if that was to happen. But I’ll just go there and train like I do every day at Spurs and we’ll have to see what happens.
“It’s great to have four other Spurs lads out there as well.”
Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard will captain England at the World Cup in Ferdinand’s absence.