England caretaker manager Stuart Pearce has delayed naming his captain for the friendly against the Netherlands but says he has already decided who will lead the team at Wembley.
With John Terry stripped of the captaincy, speculation has mounted over who Pearce will select to skipper England in Wednesday’s high-profile international against the Dutch.
But Pearce – managing England following the shock resignation of Fabio Capello – ensured the speculation would rage for another day on Tuesday after refusing to divulge which player would wear the armband.
“The captain will be announced tomorrow when the team is announced tomorrow morning. It’s a format that I have followed at club level and under-21 level and I didn’t see it necessary to change it at this moment in time,” Pearce said.
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, who led England at the 2010 World Cup, is regarded as the front-runner for the position although Pearce insisted he had considered “several candidates” for the role.
Pearce, who has declared himself available to manage England at this year’s European Championships if a permanent successor to Capello is not found, said he wanted an “unselfish” player to captain the side.
“When I bear in mind it might be a one-off scenario, the captain has got to be somebody who is in the starting XI, somebody who’s got the respect of the other players in my eyes and someone who is unselfish and puts the group above himself,” Pearce said. “That’s a vital commodity as captain.
“There is no doubt there are several candidates, but I made my mind up a week or two weeks ago.”
Pearce said the captain would be revealed when the squad were informed of the starting XI for the Dutch game on Wednesday morning. “At 10am I would think we’ll have a meeting before we go out and train,” Pearce said.
England will also have to do without Glen Johnson after the Liverpool defender’s withdrawal on Tuesday saw him become the fifth player to pull out of the squad after Rooney, Bent, Tom Cleverley and Kyle Walker.
Manchester City’s Joleon Lescott was called up in Johnson’s place.
Pearce meanwhile revealed he had received a good luck message from Capello ahead of Wednesday’s game.
“I spoke with Fabio a few days ago to thank him for everything he’s done for me, and I received a text from him on Monday morning wishing me all the best for the game on Wednesday, which I replied to,” he said.
