Gerrard’s retirement puts the Three Lions in unchartered waters as they will be for the first time in a very long time put in a situation where they will have to choose a leader from a group of players who are not suitable to lead, an opinion which has been voiced by several former players.
Ex-England captain Bryan Robson who was capped 90 times between 1980 and 1991 has declared that there is no ‘standout candidate’ in the current English roster, but has singled out three individuals who can potentially handle the responsibility.
"As a captain I don't think we have a standout candidate," said Robson.
"Hopefully some of the young boys can come through and really prove themselves after the experience of the World Cup and stamp their authority on the England squad.”
"But I don't see that now. Really, you have to go to the experienced ones who will play each game, especially with the European Championship coming up.”
"Joe Hart, Gary Cahill and Wayne Rooney look like the contenders."
Here we take a look at five current players who might take the responsibility following Gerrard’s departure.
Wayne Rooney
The Man United man is the most likely player to wear the captain’s arm band for the national side. Even though Bryan Robson vehemently claimed that no current English player is suitable to take over the responsibility, he backed the former Everton youngster for the captain’s role.
"Wayne has proved he is our best player," Robson said.
"He leads by example. He works really hard for the team.”
"No matter what position the coach wants him to play, Wayne wants to do the job.
"That is a good sign for a captain. If it was Wayne I would have no doubts about him being captain."
The 28 year old has been widely tipped for the captain’s role but there is a reason Wazza has never been named permanent captain for his club. The primary reason is that Rooney despite of being a terrific player is fairly short tempered which is not an ideal characteristic for a player who is to captain the national side.
Furthermore the Man United ace will be 32 by the time the next World Cup begins and even though he is England’s main player at present, it remains to be seen what role he will be playing four years later.
However with the FA and Hodgson currently short on options, Rooney is definitely favorite to be named captain of the England national side.
Joe Hart
He is one player who has a guaranteed spot in England’s lineup and should Hodgson opt against naming Rooney captain, Joe Hart would be the most obvious alternate. Hart is a player who is well respected within the England camp and is a regular starter having made the number one spot his own since the start of Euro 2012.
He is of an authoritative nature something which will bode well for the Three Lions should he be named captain. The 27 year old showed tremendous character when regaining his spot between the posts after losing it out to Costel Pantilimon at Man City and has shown that he is not scared to fight for his place.
However there are concerns over Hart’s temperament and consistency. Despite of being a very sound keeper generally Man City’s number one tends to make a lot of mistakes at times. He has not been at his supreme best recently and will have to put forth a string of good performances if he is to be considered for the captain’s role.
Phil Jagielka
The Everton man is one of the few natural leaders in the side and would definitely make a good captain. The 31 year olds experience as captain of his club would definitely also come in handy. His club manager Roberto Martinez holds him in high regards and claims that Jagielka definitely has the qualities of a great captain.
“When I arrived I still had a decision to make,” he said.
“It doesn’t matter who the captain was, you need to make your own decision but I never had any doubts that Phil was ready for that role.”
“He’s the perfect age to take the dressing room forward and he has the qualities that are needed to be successful.”
Gary Cahill
An outside candidate for the role, but the Chelsea man makes a strong case for himself. He is hardly the most vocal player on the pitch but like Gerrard the 28 year old can lead on the pitch by example. Last season the former Bolton man formed an indestructible partnership with John Terry at the heart of Chelsea’s defence and is arguably England’s most consistent player.
At 28, Cahill has a few good years left in him and can join the list of England centre backs who have captained the national side which includes some big names including Bobby Moore, John Terry, Terry Butcher and Tony Adams.
Jordan Henderson
If Roy Hodgson is looking to nurture a captain in time for the next World Cup, Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson is a viable option. Whereas it is young Jack Wilshere who has been touted as the player to lead England one day, it is Henderson who is more deserving.
The Arsenal man’s performances have experienced a downward spiral, whereas Henderson on the other hand has grown from strength to strength. The 24 year old enjoyed a very productive season with Liverpool and was one of his side’s better players during the World Cup.
He captained the under-21 side at the 2013 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship and even though it’s a whole new ball game with the senior side, Henderson can be nurtured into a fine captain. What stands against the former Sunderland man is his lack of experience with the national side thus it is very unlikely that he will be named Steven Gerrard’s successor to lead the Three Lions.
