New England skipper Rio Ferdinand has rubbished the theory that players lacked the desire to play for their country ahead of the Fabio Capello era.
Ferdinand was responding to claims that all 23 members of the squad reporting for duty for Wednesday's international with France in Paris was in stark contrast to the days when several players would pull out of friendlies.
But he also called for patience to be shown in time for Capello's plans to take full effect in the aftermath of the 1-0 defeat against the French courtesy of Franck Ribery's penalty.
Ferdinand said: "People are making a point about the fact everyone turned up for this game. I can only speak from a personal experience in that when you get named in an England squad, you treat it as the pinnacle. You are buzzing to be involved every time.
"To say people pull out and feign injury or whatever is maybe a bit far fetched. Everyone wants to play for their country even if it has been a difficult time for the last couple of years.
"That is part and parcel of playing for a country like England. If it is not going well, you are open to criticism. You've got to be able to accept that. But everyone still has pride in playing for England."
Capello has had only three or four training days to date with England plus the games with Switzerland and France with Ferdinand acknowledging success and change will not happen overnight.
He said: "The new manager has come in, not had many training days to implement all his ideas although he has been thorough in letting it be known what he wants from us in the time we have spent with him.
"He has been assertive in what he demands of each of us as individuals and as a team. But to implement all of that, we are going to need time.
"Sometimes when you make a lot of changes it is difficult but that is something we've got to get used to. We've got a few friendlies and the manager is going to want change things and see different players and different formations and we've got to be able to adjust.
"He never said it would happen overnight and we've got to wait and bide our time - and the more time we have with him, the more you will see his stamp of authority on the team."
Ferdinand admits he was full of pride when he led out England for the first time in the Stade de France and believes there were encouraging signs despite the single goal setback.
He said: "When leading the team out, I don't think you would have found a prouder man on the planet. It was a great honour and something that will live long in the memory.
"You can't look back and think 'I feel bad or out of place.' I am comfortable with any surrounding I am put in. I just deal with the situation.
"Who knows how long it will be for but I'm very grateful for the manager for giving me that opportunity. Whether he deems me the right man long term for the job, I'll have to wait and see.
"The manager has got to make the decisions, big decisions, and the captaincy is one of them."
But Ferdinand insisted: "It is not about personal issues. The team didn't win but there are positives to be taken from Wednesday.
"At times we passed the ball very well, albeit with not creating as many chances as we would have liked, but we were getting into decent positions and kept the ball quite well for decent periods of the first half.
"People wanted to get on the ball and play. For periods in the first half we showed an advance from before in that area and we wanted to get on the ball and take control of the game.
"People say a cutting edge has to be added but, don't forget, we've not been together long and the new manager not had long to implement his own ideas and his own strategies."
