England Captaincy: Who Should Replace John Terry?

Almost two years to the day since he was last deposed because of a tabloid scandal, John Terry has been stripped of the England captaincy.

The FA did not want his upcoming court case, scheduled for July, over accusations of racial abuse to overshadow the team at Euro 2012. However, they stopped short of suspending him from international duty altogether.

With the case not yet heard in court, now is not the time to debate the merits of the prosecution or the defence. Suffice to say that Terry denies the charge and is innocent until proven guilty.

One more pressing matter, however, is who will steppe and wear the armband in his stead in Poland and Ukraine this summer.

Rio Ferdinand has already ruled himself out by saying on Twitter: "I don't want to be england captain after the last episode,just want to concentrate on playin for utd&if I make the squad then as ever I'll be delighted."

Here, in alphabetical order, are the main candidates to take over as England captain.

Ashley Cole

For the English, the honour of wearing the armband is a matter of great importance. 

Other countries, however, do not hold the role in such high esteem. Many choose to simply give it to the squad member who is either the oldest or has the most caps.

In terms of international appearances that would put Cole in the frame, having played 93 times for his country.

The Chelsea left-back has been England's most consistent performer over the past decade, but he is not exactly the most popular player outside of his own club.

After becoming public enemy number one for a time because of his alleged cheating while married to the nation's sweetheart, Cheryl Cole, he was caught changing his status in Blackberry messenger to, "I hate England and the f***ing people!"

He later clarified that statement by saying: "I always try my hardest for England and Chelsea but the intrusion and pressure I feel is making my life hell."

Nevertheless, his chances of leading his country are very slim indeed.

Steven Gerrard

With Terry having the captaincy taken from him and Ferdinand injured, it was left for Gerrard to wear the armband at the World Cup two years ago.

The Liverpool skipper has often been accused of reserving his best performances for his club and going missing at the big tournaments. But in South Africa he was England's best player, although England crashed out in the second round.

Gerrard has made 89 appearances for his country, making him one of the most experienced players at Fabio Capello's disposal. He also has the crucial advantage of having already led England at a tournament.

As such, he has to be seen as one of the front-runners.

Joe Hart

It is hard to believe that Hart has only been England's No.1 goalie for about 18 months.

The Manchester City goalkeeper has established himself as one of the best in his position at both club and international level.

Although he did not play a minute in South Africa, he has been the unquestionable first choice since then, racking up 16 caps to date.

Despite being just 24, he is a commanding presence on the team—not shy to tell his more experienced teammates exactly what they should be doing at any given moment.

He is also one of the few England players whose position in the team is assured, a vital attribute for any captain.

Give him the armband now, and he could hold on to it for a decade or more. It seemed to work out well for Iker Casillas and Spain.

However, his youth and lack of caps may ultimately count against him.

Frank Lampard

Another of England's most experienced players, Lampard has 90 caps to his name and 23 goals for England.

Lampard is one of the most erudite and charming players in the English game. He enjoys an excellent rapport with the media and is popular with the fans.

Although his all-round performances for England have often fallen short of what he has achieved at club level, he has still popped up with plenty of goals at memorable times, from the equaliser against Portugal which forced a penalty shootout at the 2008 European Championships to his recent winner in a friendly against Spain.

However, at 33-years-old, Lampard is no longer a guaranteed starter for Chelsea, never mind England. It appears his time may have already come and gone.

Scott Parker

Very much an outside bet but there was a noticeable groundswell of support for the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder since the announcement that Terry would be forcibly removed from the captaincy.

Parker's international career has only blossomed in the last year. At 31-years-of-age, the majority of his 10 England caps have come in the last 12 months despite him making his debut under Sven-Goran Eriksson as far back as 2003.

A commanding and assured presence in the centre of the pitch, Parker is able to play a variety of roles and as such is more likely to nail down a regular place.

Even though he was not captain for West Ham last season (that was Matthew Upson, trivia fans), it was Parker's inspirational performances that gave a poor Hammers' side a fighting chance of avoiding relegation. the fact, he got named Football Writers' Footballer of the Year.

Despite him now starring regularly for title-chasing Spurs, steering well clear of scandal in favour of the quiet life and enjoying the utmost respect of his peers, it seems unlikely that Capello will name a player in his 30s who has never played at a major tournament leader on the pitch. 

Wayne Rooney

Another easy way to decide who your captain should be is to simply give the armband to your best player. Rooney is clearly the best footballer currently at Capello's disposal and the only Englishman whose talents put him comfortably in the same bracket as the other megastars of the world game.

The problem is that even if Capello wanted to name the Manchester United striker as his captain for England's opening match of Euro 2012 against France, he cannot. Rooney is suspended for the first two games of the tournament due to his unprovoked kick on a Montenegro player in England's final qualifying match.

That was not the first time Rooney's temper has got the better of him to the detriment of the England team. In the quarterfinals of the 2006 World Cup he was sent off for stamping on a rather sensitive area of Portugal defender Ricardo Carvalho's anatomy. 

Then, of course, there is the matter of his various brushes with scandal himself, not to mention his own insipid showing at the last World Cup.

The job of England captain carries with it certain expectations of being a squeaky-clean ambassador for the country. At least it did until Terry was reinstated last year. Rooney's past transgressions both on and off the pitch mean that he falls short in that category and as such is unlikely to be given the job on anything other than an ad hoc basis.