David Beckham declared that the England squad would heal the rift with the nation over their strike threat by proving their passion and patriotism in winning tonight's Euro 2004 qualifier in Turkey.

The England captain insisted that the squad have nothing to apologise for, although he accepted for the first time that Rio Ferdinand should not have missed his drugs test.

The squad still have an issue with the Football Association over Ferdinand's treatment, although Beckham was unclear whether any further repercussions would follow next week.

Amid reports that a vote of no confidence in FA chief executive Mark Palios is still planned, he indicated at one point that his comments had only ''cleared most of it up until after the game''.

However, when asked later if there would be a call for heads to roll, he responded: ''No, not that I know of. Hopefully it's not mine!

''We've done what we believed in and we've put that in statements. To be honest, I don't want to see any more statements.''

What was abundantly clear was Beckham's desire to shift the focus onto tonight's final group game, when England need a point to qualify automatically for the Euro 2004 finals.

''We have to put what's gone on in the past week behind us. The crisis is gone now,'' declared the England skipper.

''Whether people think that we owe the country something or that we let the country down, that can only be put right in the game with the passion and togetherness we'll show, and hopefully with the result.

''Football is a great healer for a lot of people around the world. Hopefully that's what we're going to do for the nation. It has been a hard week, as we all realise.

''We hope that, for 90 minutes, we can actually prove that our passion's still there for our country and for ourselves. If we win the game, then that says it all.''

Beckham insists he and his team-mates have been ''offended'' by question-marks over their patriotism in the wake of their reported threat to boycott the game if Ferdinand was not reinstated.

''The headlines will always be there whilst our wages are what they are, so we are prepared to take the criticism,'' he added.

''But once we are on the pitch, people will realise how much football means to us. It's even more important to get this result now.''

While Michael Owen, who is injured, and Ferdinand are ruled out of the game, Wayne Rooney and John Terry look set to replace them in the starting line-up.

However, Beckham insisted the controversial events of the past week had actually served to bond the squad even more closely together.

Dismissing reports of rifts between himself and his best friend Gary Neville, as well as supposed different elements in the squad, he declared: ''Every one of the players is together on this.

''As England captain, I've seen the players come through certain situations and show a lot of character.

''This week has surprised me a bit, to be honest, with the way that the players have stuck together.

''It wasn't just two halves of the squad. All the players were together on this.

"To show that sort of unity was pretty amazing for me, I was really happy about that.

''I am more than convinced that the players are in the right frame of mind. In a weird way, it has brought the squad closer together and has made me realise how close we are as a team.''

Beckham prefaced his remarks at a packed Press conference in Istanbul by reading out a pre-planned statement.

In it, he declared: ''Obviously it has been a very difficult week for the players and the FA, and I'd like to make a few things clear.

''There have been many discussions, and these centred around support for Rio and our concerns about the way his case was handled.

''We fully recognise that Rio should not have missed the first drugs test. But we've gone on record to say that what happened afterwards was what we were unhappy with as a squad.

''The issue is now a matter for the FA, and they have promised to look at how future cases are dealt with.

''Please be assured that we are all now fully focused on the game and determined to win it and book our place in next summer's finals in Portugal.

''I can assure you that every player is proud to be picked for his country and wear the England shirt.

''We will play our hearts out for our country and for ourselves and, I hope, we'll come out with the right result.''

If that is the case, the controversy of the past week can hopefully become just a distant memory.

If not, however, the repercussions could linger all the way to the play-offs and possibly beyond