No way for a man to carry on and that means you, Wayne Bridge

By Bryony Gordon Published: 7:15PM GMT twenty-six February 2010

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Game over: Wayne Bridge, right, who has give up the England team, and John Terry in happier times Photo: PA

There is a word that my womanlike friends and I similar to to have have use of of from time to time, generally in propinquity to skinny boyfriends, skinny ex-boyfriends, and skinny intensity boyfriends, and that word is "man up". Writing it similar to that - "man up" - does not unequivocally do the word justice; the smoothness of the tenure is some-more similar to "MAN UP!!!!!"

To give you an e.g. of the context it should be used in, I impute you to a new review I had with my dear crony Ed, thirty years of age going on 13, not certain either he should email a lady he met dual days formerly since "it competence appear as well keen, and I dont instruct to appear as well keen, if I appear as well penetrating she competence think Im a loser, Oh God I instruct my mummy". There was usually one reply to this. All together now: MAN UP.

Land girls: fluster on the home front Gait analysis: you need your legs examined... Craig Bellamy breathes hold up in to Manchester City Make the tea? They?re going to shift the universe The Elizabeth Cross: Is it as well little, as well late? The Sep Issue: Anna Wintour unmasked in The genuine Devil Wears Prada

Today, I would similar to to contend this to one Wayne Michael Bridge, innate on the 5th of August, 1980 (thanks, Wikipedia). Wayne: you need to MAN UP.

To recap, a month or so ago Mr Bridge was usually an additional twentysomething rewarded to the balance of thousands of pounds a week for his capability to flog a ball.

Then it incited out that Mr Bridges consort and former colleague, John Terry, had slept with Mr Bridges ex-girlfriend; worse, Mr Terry had assimilated his friends ex, paid for her abortion, and afterwards chucked her �20,000 to "cheer herself up". (Who pronounced intrigue was dead? John Terry, it would seem.)

A squalid small story then, but frequency a startling one in a competition dominated by money, imbeciles, and the unavoidable flotsam and jetsam that will insert itself to pronounced monied imbeciles.

"You couldnt have it up" is a clich mostly trotted out by commentators over the moon at their diversion of dual halves but these days, you couldnt have it up since you dont have to, since that the unworthy tales of Premiership stars are unprotected in the writings each alternative week.

Anyway, one competence have hoped that this quite contemptible tale was well and indeed put to bed when Terry was nude of the England captaincy. But no - this week, Bridge voiced that he would not be travelling to the World Cup in South Africa "in the light of the stating and events over the last couple of weeks".

He combined that "it has regularly been an honour to fool around for England. However, after clever thought I hold my on all sides in the patrol is right afar illogical and potentially divisive."

Leaving in reserve the viewable jokes about a footballer meditative delicately - and the have have use of of of the difference "untenable" and "divisive" by a man who claims that his prime book is Horrid Henry and the Football Fiend (and appreciate you again, Wikipedia) - I contingency confess that my primary greeting was snub on interest of Bridge. How astray that his chances of not winning the World Cup had been taken afar since of his dishonourable "mate".

But snub shortly incited to pity; the tenure "cutting off your nose to annoy your face" sprung to mind. I do idea you will atonement the pun, but I feel that Bridge has rather scored an own idea here. Men who are twenty-nine years of age should be equates to to interpretation their in isolation lives from their veteran ones, instead of sulking similar to schoolboys - generally men who are paid immeasurable sums of money. I gamble you this kind of thing goes on at banks all the time, and nobody cries off.

Perhaps one of Bridges advisers told him that his World Cup scapegoat would be a one-way sheet to martyrdom, but Im certain that in 4 years time, when he is past it in football terms, he wouldnt see it that way. He could have taken it on the chin, shown that nasty small man Terry that he was on top of all this, but his incapacity to man up equates to that the republic is right afar a man down - even if, as Henry Winter forked out in The Daily yesterday, Bridge is a rather common player who will be no good loss to the team.

Still, it does appear rather indecorous that piece of the England patrol is being motionless by a diversion of lick (and tell) chase. But maybe we usually have ourselves to censure for this - for being meddlesome in the in isolation lives of people who would onslaught to kick an amoeba in a diversion of Snap.

I am ill of celebration of the mass about Ashley Cole and his "sexting", and I couldnt caring less if John Terry were to have love to a donkey. In that respect, I instruct the High Court had never carried Terrys super-injunction and done us arcane to his pitiable philandering.

In fact, if I could, Id hang a super-injunction on the total damn lot of them.