John Terry Stripped of England Captaincy: 5 Best Replacements for Euro 2012

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John Terry must not care to captain England in big international events.

His captaincy was removed before the 2010 World Cup due to allegations that he was having an affair with former teammate Wayne Bridge's girlfriend.

Now, Terry may have done another bloke-ish thing and racially abused Anton Ferdinand during a Chelsea-Queens Park Rangers match. This has caused his captaincy for UEFA Euro 2012 to be revoked by the English Football Association.

As the former English captain now waits for trial, England must look for another man to captain their squad for this summer's tournament. Here are five possibilities.

Rio Ferdinand

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Rio Ferdinand was poised to take over the responsibilities for England in the 2010 World Cup but could not participate due to injury.

Things didn't turn out as the English wanted them under Steven Gerrard's captaincy, so this London native might have a chance to captain because he still has much respect among his fellow players and countrymen.

On the downside (or upside), he's 33 years old, which means this is going to be one of his last big competitions with England. He's struggled with a hamstring injury for the last few months, so hopefully he will be healthy and ready for this summer.

Frank Lampard

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Frank Lampard, another 33-year-old, is another popular option for the captaincy.

He has 90 international caps, second only to Ashley Cole on the current international squad. Lampard has captained the English side before but mostly only in the absence of Terry and Ferdinand.

Just this past November, Lampard scored in a friendly against Spain, giving England the 1-0 win. He seems to be staying relatively healthy and may be an option as captain this summer.

Steven Gerrard

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The fan-favorite Steven Gerrard captained England during the 2010 World Cup due to Rio Ferdinand's injury and John Terry's demotion. He has 89 international caps.

Gerrard captained several of the qualifying matches for Euro 2012 and looks to be poised to take that position again.

Unfortunately, he hasn't been particularly healthy in the last six months, dealing with an ankle issue.

Ashley Cole

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Though I doubt that this is really a great option for the English, Ashley Cole boasts a 93-cap career and therefore could be considered for the captaincy.

Cole has been named the Player of the Year at Chelsea for the last two seasons due to his consistency and incredible speed.

During the summer of 2010, Cole picked up his 80th international cap against Algeria, making him the most-capped black English international.

Wayne Rooney

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Though Wayne Rooney has slowed down in recent weeks, his start to the 2011-2012 campaign for Manchester United was phenomenal. He is fourth in the league in scoring with 13 goals.

Rooney is 26 years old, which may be old enough to consider him seriously for the captaincy. He brings fire, creativity and goals to the English side.

He has amassed 73 international caps and has scored 28 international goals.

If England wants to make a statement about looking to the future, and having trust in one of their younger leaders, Euro 2012 could be the time to do that.