England manager Roy Hodgson apologized to Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand on Thursday (October 4) after discussing the player's England future with passengers on the London underground.

A British tabloid newspaper reported details of Hodgson's conversation with passengers as he travelled to watch Arsenal play in the Champions League on Wednesday evening.

The paper quoted Hodgson as saying Ferdinand's career with England was finished and "at the end of the road".

Hodgson told a news conference: "I'm very disappointed that the story has come out like that and I apologise to him and will apologise to him because there's no way I would ever indicate that I wasn't going to use a player in that way.

"I didn't choose him in the squad this time and it's really just for the same reason as before, we have other players. But certainly I'm not suggesting it's the end of the line, I would never dream of telling a player it's the end of the line or the end of the road, or whatever I'm supposed to have said, that's up to every player to decide for themselves.

Hodgson said this was just one of the many hazards of travelling on the subway and asking people’s questions.