Terry handed England captaincy

May 27, 2008

John Terry has been handed the perfect pick-me-up after his Moscow heartbreak as England coach Fabio Capello confirmed on Tuesday that the Chelsea skipper will captain England against USA on Wednesday.

It will be the first time Terry has captained England under Capello’s reign after Steven Gerrard and Rio Ferdinand skippered the side in Capello’s opening two matches in charge. Terry, who captained England during Steve McClaren’s ill-fated reign now has a chance to make his mark on the team ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ qualifiers in September.

Capello would not confirm if Terry will retain the armband for Sunday’s match with Trinidad & Tobago but it is a major boost for the man whose slip and subsequent penalty miss cost Chelsea the UEFA Champions League against Manchester United last week.

“The captain is John Terry. I decided before the Champions League final. We have had Steven Gerrard, Rio Ferdinand and now John as captain,” Capello said.

“At this moment it is a good decision for John after a not nice experience on Wednesday. I told him he would be the captain and he was very happy. It is very important to be a leader and John is a leader.”

Terry was joined in the England camp by Chelsea team-mates Ashley Cole, Joe Cole, Wayne Bridge and Frank Lampard with Capello faced with the tough task of risking their spirits after their Moscow heartbreak.

It is very important that the Chelsea players play with the national team so they can forget the last game in Moscow. I plan to use all the Chelsea players in these two games,” he said.

David Beckham is also in the squad after his recent good form with LA Galaxy, with Capello praising the vertan midfielder’s fitness. “He’s very fresh, like USA’s players,” Capello said. “They’ve just started the season. The future is good for him, there’s no problem. He’s very fit.”

Capello spoke to the media in English for the first time and insisted he will not be going easy on the players, despite the demands of a hectic domestic schedule.

“We want to recover their minds and bodies after ten days holidays but the players have worked very well,” Capello said.”

The Italian sees the get together as a major opportunity to get things running smoothly ahead of next season’s South Africa 2010 opening qualifying match against Andorra.

“The two friendlies are very important because I will know what I think about every position after these games,” he said. “It will be a strong game. I saw their three games and the United States scored seven goals, with only two conceded.

“They have good organisation and are very fast on the counter-attack. They are scored a lot of goals from free-kicks and corners because they jump very well. I think it is a very important test for us. They are very fresh. For us it will be important to play at a high level.

“I am happy and afraid because nine players were not with me at the start of the camp because they played in the Champions League final. I was happy for the players but not for me.”

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