Ferdinand accepts being left out

West Ham's Anton Ferdinand has accepted being left out of the starting line-up.

West Ham defender Anton Ferdinand has accepted being left out of the starting line-up for the defeat at Old Trafford.

The hugely promising stopper must have been disappointed to miss out on starting against his brother Rio and came on as a second half substitute at right back.

After an eye-catching display in the 23 minutes he played against Manchester United, Ferdinand will be determined to force his way back into the side in time for the FA Cup semi-final against Middlesbrough or Charlton Athletic at Villa Park.

"The first time I was here was when I was just 17 and on the bench," he told Sky Sports. "I didn't manage to take part in the game but, this time, I've come on and managed to play a part.

"It wasn't the case [that I wasn't fully fit]. The boys at the back have done well still, anyway, they've done well in the last few games and done well tonight so there's no complaints from me.

"There was a bit of banter [with Rio]. He wanted to see if I was fit, that was the main thing. I was in the end and he's a bit disappointed I wasn't playing but he knows that's the way it goes in football. If you're injured and the team wins two games on the bounce, it's not like you're going to come straight back in."

Ferdinand wants West Ham to continue showing their qualities this term after a fabulous first season back in The Premiership.

"We're always going to create chances," he explained. "Today, we didn't take our chances but hopefully, in the next game, we can take more than what we did today.

"There's no point being negative. You must be positive in this league. We're looking at the teams above us, not below us, and we're going to continue to do that.

"We're taking each game as it comes and want to win all of them.

"I spoke to Rio after the game," he added. "He said 'well done' but that was it and we'll talk later.

"He might give me a little bit of banter but he likes West Ham. He owes them a lot as they gave him his chance. He might give me a little dig because I wasn't playing and because we lost.

"It shows our type of character and the characters we've got in our team," he explained about a dogged performance. "We've showed it all year and showed it today.

"We could have nicked a point but didn't. We showed we won't lay down and die. The difference is they've got world-class players in every position, they've got a couple in every position, that's the way big teams are. But we showed we can mix it with them."