The Manchester United ace is happy with Fabio Capello’s strict new regime and reckons that is the reason for their success.
Ferdinand said: “We became a bit of a circus in terms of the WAG situation. It seems like there was a big show around the whole England squad.
“It was like watching a theatre show unfolding. Football almost became a secondary element to the main event.
“People were worrying more about what people were wearing and where they were going, rather than the England football team.
“You don’t get many tournaments in your career. To give yourself the best chance, you have to be focused.
“It was just a bit too close. The football wasn’t really separated from the personal life.”
Ferdinand added: “It feels as if we’re going in the right direction. You can see we’re at the start of something. Hopefully, there’ll be bigger rewards than in the past.”