From The Mirror:
'As Rio Ferdinand enters the final days of his exile, I'd like to think football had learned something about personal responsibility from his eight-month ban.
But who am I trying to kid?
I'd like to think that maybe some good had come out of the pain Ferdinand has suffered as a result of the routine drugs test he missed way back on September 23 last year.
But who am I fooling?
I'd like to think that some of the players and fans who protested most vociferously about Ferdinand's ban at the time might have come to see the light now.
But I know I'm living in a dreamworld.
I'd like to think that after the shock of Ferdinand's suspension, football would have come to realise that drugs in sport is a serious issue and that the wealth of the game doesn't allow it to bend the rules.
But I can hear you laughing at the naivety of that as I write it.
Because nothing's changed. Not really. Oh sure, Ferdinand won't 'forget' about another drugs test in a hurry. And Manchester United might be a bit more careful about making players attend. But if you ask Sir Alex Ferguson, he'll still tell you Ferdinand did nothing wrong. He'll still tell you it was the FA's fault.
It was the testers' fault. It was the panel's fault. It was the lawyers' fault. It was the media's fault. It was everybody's fault. Except his. Except Ferdinand's. Plenty of people still believe that. Plenty of otherwise intelligent men and women have been brainwashed into thinking that.
I'm glad Rio Ferdinand can start playing football again on Monday. I hope the rest of his season is a great success. But if football really took drugs seriously, he'd be looking at not kicking a ball again until January 2006. He'd be looking at a career in ruins. Like Greek sprinter Kostas Kenteris. Remember him? He missed a drugs test, too, but I don't recall anyone believing him when he said he 'forgot'.
Welcome back, Rio. You're a great player and a good bloke. And a lucky, lucky boy.'