James Milner backs John Terry’s England captaincy: He leads on and off the pitch

James Milner,Manchester City(Getty Images)

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Manchester City midfielder James Milner insists Chelsea defender John Terry‘s experience and leadership qualities make him a suitable England captain.

Terry had the armband taken off him after allegations about his private life were leaked to the press, with Fabio Capello stating that the Blues defender would never captain his country again.

However, 13 short months later and Terry is once again skipper and will lead his side out against Wales on Saturday and Milner believes the centre-back’s ability and dedication makes him the perfect candidate for the role.

“He has shown that he is capable week in, week out in the Premier League and for a number of years with England,” he told reporters.

“He’ll put his foot in, win tackles and leads on the pitch but also off it, I think that is the biggest thing.

“He has got a great link between the players and the managers as well, we’ve got a number of team players that will say what they think and I think you need that as a unit.”

The decision to give Terry the captaincy has meant that Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand, who is currently suffering from a calf muscle strain, will no longer wear the armband.

But Milner believes that Ferdinand will bounce back stronger than ever and does not need to be captain to have a strong influence on the team.

“It is football, things change very quickly; it’s tough for Rio, he is a top player and a great leader also,” Milner added.

“It is obviously gutting for him as soon as he recovers from injury and gets back in the squad, he will still be leading.

“There are people in the squad who lead whether or not they have the armband and that is the most important thing.”