Author Topic: John Terry named as permanent England captain (Read 82 times)

Elano · « **on:** August 19, 2008, 08:45:33 AM »

John Terry has retained the England captaincy with Fabio Capello preferring to keep faith with the Chelsea defender in preference to Rio Ferdinand, who has been named vice-captain.

The Chelsea defender admitted he had been nervous before he was told of the coach's decision. "I think everybody realises it means the world to me, to retain the armband," Terry said. "To get it back is a huge achievement.

"The manager called the squad together and told us as a whole. For me to get it above the likes of him [Ferdinand] and the other players in the squad is a great honour."

Terry admitted his surprised at being selected ahead of the Manchester United defender. "I'd never given up on the armband and never will do," he said. "I'd heard the whispers Rio got the armband so I was a little bit shocked, but I've got to make the most of it."

Capello revealed that it was Terry's "big personality" that was the deciding factor in his decision. "Rio, when he was captain, played very well - the same level as John," the Italian said. "It was not easy for me to choose because they are very good players. The big personality of John was the reason I chose him, but Rio is very important to the team."

Terry will lead England in their World Cup qualifying campaign starting in Andorra on September 6. "We need to concentrate on qualifying and we have got the squad to do that," he said. "We just need to do it on the pitch."

Capello agreed that the team can make a fresh start after the disappointment of not qualifying for Euro 2008. "I think the season just starts for us. For the national team, it's a very important season," he said. "We have to work and play every game like a final."

Steve McClaren named Terry captain once David Beckham stepped down after the 2006 World Cup, but his position was put in doubt when Capello took charge and delayed naming his on-field lieutenant. Steven Gerrard, Ferdinand and Beckham - as well as Terry - were all given one game each to demonstrate their credentials and Ferdinand appeared to be the favourite.

That Capello decided to persevere with Terry is a big lift for the Chelsea defender, who was distraught after missing the crucial penalty in the Champions League final shoot-out against Manchester United in May.

Elano · « **Reply #1 on:** August 19, 2008, 08:48:21 AM »

Don't blame it on Rio
(In the first of our online daily columns, Oliver Kay on why mood swings, a Machiavellian streak and a tendency to use players as bargaining chips are tarnishing Benitez's reputation)

If someone had proposed Rio Ferdinand as England captain three or even two years ago, I would have sneered. The missed drugs test, the silly scrapes outside nightclubs, the slightly cringeworthy (if at times amusing) World Cup Wind-ups television programme - all of them served to build an image of a man who, whatever his immense talent, was not captaincy material.

But, as Fabio Capello prepared to end the suspense over his new captain today, I found myself rooting for Rio ahead of John Terry, the man who wore the armband under Steve McClaren and who captained Chelsea to two Premier League titles under Jose Mourinho. Why? Because Ferdinand has matured to the point where he seems like the obvious candidate for the job, whereas Terry, once his more dominant partner, has slipped into bad habits both on and off the pitch.

I am an unashamed Rio revisionist, but I was a relatively late arrival on this particular bandwagon. His form for Manchester United over the past two seasons, frequently as captain, has been that of a man for whom the penny has finally dropped. Having struggled to live up to his world-class billing through his mid 20s, he has learned from his numerous mistakes, raised his game and become a far more responsible figure - a role model both on and off the pitch.

Ferdinand was fingered by some for his involvement in United's infamous Christmas party last year, but that was not altogether fair. Nor is it fair when his activities with various charities and good causes - more than just about any high-profile player in the country - are overlooked or, far worse, dismissed as publicity stunts. When you hear Ferdinand passionately discussing his concerns about knife crime or deprivation in inner-cities or extreme poverty in Africa, it is clear that this is a man who believes in these causes, rather than seeing them as a vehicle for his "brand", as might occasionally be the case for some of his fellow professionals.

At the time of Capello's appointment, I did not really consider Ferdinand a prospective England captain -- regarding it as a straight fight between Terry and Steven Gerrard - but when, over lunch with few fellow journalists in Paris in March, we learned that the United defender was to lead the team in the friendly against France the following evening, it made perfect sense to me. There is no outstanding, irresistible candidate, but if, as Capello believes, Gerrard is a little too introverted for the job, Ferdinand, rather than Terry, seems like the perfect choice. After a six-month audition, it is Capello's first really big choice as England manager. Surely if Terry were the ideal man, that audition would have not been necessary.