I’m a former England star who got ‘Merked’ by Rio Ferdinand and my mate John Terry… I was too scared to get them back

SHAUN WRIGHT-PHILLIPS has revealed he was too scared to get his own back on Rio Ferdinand, after his former England team-mate pranked him on a TV show 18 years ago.

In 2006, ahead of the World Cup in Germany that year, the ex-Man Utd defender had his own show suitably called Rio Ferdinand’s World Cup Wind-Ups.

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Shaun Wright-Phillips is still haunted by a prank pulled on him by Rio Ferdinand[/caption]

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Wright-Phillips’ former Chelsea and England pal John Terry was in on the gag[/caption]

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The stitch-up featured on Rio Ferdinand’s World Cup Wind-Ups in 2006[/caption]

On it, Ferdinand would set up stitch-ups involving England’s stars.

One of the unfortunate players to fall for Rio’s wind-ups was Shaun Wright-Phillips.

The prank pulled on the ex-Chelsea winger saw a superfan waiter who wouldn’t leave the wideman alone during a meal with John Terry, who was in on the joke.

After pushing a note Wright Phillips’ way, asking for money, the waiter was then sacked and dragged out of the restaurant – much to the footballer’s dismay.

The manager of the restaurant then accuses Wright-Phillips of egging the waiter on.

Nearly 20 years have passed since the incident, although it still leaves a sour taste.

“It was just so awkward. I didn’t know what was going on,” Wright-Phillips told the Daily Sport, via Betway Sports Betting.

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John Terry was in on the gag, but Wright-Phillips was too scared to prank him back[/caption]

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Ferdinand revealed himself in the end to his relieved mate[/caption]

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Ferdinand’s prank show has gone down in legend[/caption]

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“I was just trying to have a meal with my friends but I understood where the waiter was coming from. I just tried to deal with it. JT [John Terry] gassed me up.”

Asked if he ever thought about getting revenge on Terry with his own prank, Wright-Phillips revealed he would be petrified to.

 “I never really pulled pranks because I’d be on edge for the rest of the season. It’s a long season if you’re watching your back all the time,” he added.