Tottenham Hotspur playmaker Rafael van der Vaart has revealed that he was surprised by Roy Hodgson's decision to leave Rio Ferdinand out of the England squad for the upcoming European Championships.

Ferdinand, 33, was overlooked by new manager Hodgson, who opted to call up Liverpool's Martin Kelly in place of the injured Gary Cahill.

Van der Vaart, who will be featuring for Holland in Poland and Ukraine, said: "It surprised me because I think he's still one of the best defenders in England, and maybe in the world.

"Of course, he's a little bit older now, but he's still fit and fresh and he played for Manchester United."

Van der Vaart and Holland are in the 'group of death' at this year's tournament as they take on Germany, Portugal and Denmark in the group stage.

They face the Danes in their tournament opener on Saturday evening.