Football Association chairman David Triesman has invited the two former Tottenham Hotspur players to help England stage the World Cup for the second time.
 

Adriles said: "I am delighted to have been invited to participate in this enterprise by Lord Triesman.
 

"Villa and I consider England our home, quite apart from it being the cradle of football."

Ardiles, who joined Spurs with Villa in 1978 after helping Argentina win the World Cup, was one of the first overseas players to come to England and is still considered one of the most successful.

Ardiles, who now lives in Hertfordshire, would love to see the World Cup come back to England for the first time since 1966.

He said: "English football has the best stadia, the best supporters creating the best atmosphere, and players from all over the world, just like myself, love playing in English football given the chance.

"I still love English football, and I feel it is universally loved."
 

The pair, both 57, join present and former England players, including David Beckham, who also helped London win the right to stage the 2012 Olympic Games, as ambassadors for the bid.

England are the early favourites to be chosen to host the 2018 World Cup but face strong European opposition from Russia and joint bids from Spain and Portugal and Holland and Belgium.

Australia, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico and the United States are also bidding.

Qatar and South Korea are bidding for just the 2022 World Cup, which world governing body FIFA will award at the same time at a meeting on December, 2010.


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