SAINTS star James Beattie is reported to have joined the entire England squad in voting to boycott the crunch Euro 2004 qualifier in Turkey.

Beattie and the other 23 members of Sven-Goran Eriksson's squad are believed to have voted unanimously not to take the field against the Turks on Saturday.

That's in protest at the FA's decision to axe defender Rio Ferdinand from the squad due to the player having missed a drugs test. They all want the Manchester United star re-instated.

The FA last night dismissed reports that several England players threatened to boycott the Istanbul clash.

But The Times newspaper this morning claimed that all 24 members of the squad took their militant stand after dinner in their Hertfordshire hotel, using ballot papers to come to their unanimous decision.

The FA revealed they held a meeting with senior squad members, as well as the Manchester United players, in which Ferdinand's team-mates made their feelings clear.

However, the FA insisted that any suggestions of a walkout as a result of Ferdinand's omission from Eriksson's squad were wide of the mark.

There had been reports that up to eight players - including David Beckham - were considering refusing to play on Saturday.

However, Beckham asked the FA to make it clear that he had no intention of making or carrying out such a threat.

Paul Barber, the FA's director of marketing and communications, attempted to play down the controversy, which kicked off when Ferdinand was omitted from the England squad after failing to take a drugs test.

Barber said: "We have had a couple of meetings with senior players as well as the Manchester United players.

"These were very amicable discussions. The players obviously wanted to express their opinions and views on what has happened. We were very happy to listen.

"They also listened to our explanation of what has happened and the reasons behind it.

"At no time - and David Beckham has asked me to make this clear - did any of the players at that meeting threaten to walk out of the squad.

"The meeting was deliberately set up to be a private meeting and will remain that way.''

It was also suggested that Manchester United had considered pulling out the rest of their players in the England squad in protest at the FA's handling of Ferdinand's situation.

When questioned about that theory, Eriksson said: "I cannot confirm that Manchester United were prepared to do that, but what I can say is that I am glad that they have not because that would have made the situation a whole lot worse.

"I would like to have had Rio with me in Turkey, very much, but that is a football opinion.

"When it comes to something I am not in control of I have to accept the orders from Mark Palios (FA chief executive) and the other people he has spoken to."