Steven Gerrard insists the England captaincy has not been tainted by John Terry and that players must still earn the right to wear the armband.
With new captain Rio Ferdinand injured, Gerrard will skipper England against Egypt tonight in the first international since Capello stripped Terry of the role.
There has been debate over whether the captaincy still holds the same prestige after Terry lost the armband because of his alleged affair with the ex-girlfriend of Wayne Bridge.
Manager Fabio Capello has questioned how the captaincy is viewed in England, claiming being a leader is more important than being the skipper and that Italian and Spanish teams simply appoint the oldest or most-capped player.
But Gerrard still believes leading one’s country is the ultimate achievement. “I don’t think we make too much of the captaincy,” said Gerrard. To be captain of England is a very proud feeling. Every kid dreams of being England captain. I was no different. I don’t really care what other countries think about the captaincy."
“You have to earn the right to be England captain. It would be disrespecting the captaincy to get it as the oldest or most-capped player. It’s massive over here and rightly so. I don’t have any doubts about the captaincy, not at all."
“When Fabio told me I was captain for the Egypt game, I was delighted and I am looking forward to leading the boys out. The spotlight’s not just on the captain, it’s on every single player – more so the closer you get to the World Cup."
“The manager has taken the decision to take the captaincy off John and, as another player, you have to respect his decision. I expect JT to be himself, a very good player and a majestic leader out there. Even if he hasn’t got the armband, I expect him to be a captain in the dressing room and out on the pitch."
With new captain Rio Ferdinand injured, Gerrard will skipper England against Egypt tonight in the first international since Capello stripped Terry of the role.
There has been debate over whether the captaincy still holds the same prestige after Terry lost the armband because of his alleged affair with the ex-girlfriend of Wayne Bridge.
Manager Fabio Capello has questioned how the captaincy is viewed in England, claiming being a leader is more important than being the skipper and that Italian and Spanish teams simply appoint the oldest or most-capped player.
But Gerrard still believes leading one’s country is the ultimate achievement. “I don’t think we make too much of the captaincy,” said Gerrard. To be captain of England is a very proud feeling. Every kid dreams of being England captain. I was no different. I don’t really care what other countries think about the captaincy."
“You have to earn the right to be England captain. It would be disrespecting the captaincy to get it as the oldest or most-capped player. It’s massive over here and rightly so. I don’t have any doubts about the captaincy, not at all."
“When Fabio told me I was captain for the Egypt game, I was delighted and I am looking forward to leading the boys out. The spotlight’s not just on the captain, it’s on every single player – more so the closer you get to the World Cup."
“The manager has taken the decision to take the captaincy off John and, as another player, you have to respect his decision. I expect JT to be himself, a very good player and a majestic leader out there. Even if he hasn’t got the armband, I expect him to be a captain in the dressing room and out on the pitch."
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