Scott Parker Named England Captain: 5 Players Who Would Have Been Better

The world of football was stunned today when reports emerged that Scott Parker would be named the captain of England for their friendly against the Netherlands at Wembley Stadium.

You did indeed read that correctly: Scott Parker and all of his 10 senior international caps will be wearing the historic captain's armband of England.

While Parker is a venerable player and a much less controversial man than his predecessor, he is not the correct player to lead his country out of the Wembley tunnel.

The appointment has not been made permanent, but caretaker manager Stuart Pearce could certainly have done better, as Parker is already 31 years old and cannot be expected to be a regular for much longer.

Here are five players who would have been a better choice to shoulder the responsibility of the captaincy than Scott Parker, both for the Netherlands match and for Euro 2012.

Frank Lampard

While 33-year-old Frank Lampard is nearing the end of his international career, he can still offer the leadership and the quality necessary for an England captain.

His 90 international caps are second only to Ashley Cole's 93 among current squad members, and he has been extremely influential when Andre Villas-Boas has played him at Chelsea.

He may not be the box-to-box midfielder that he used to be, but Lampard can still thrive in the center of the pitch and dictate play, driving his team forward when necessary.

Lampard may be nearing the end of the line, at least internationally, but the timing is right for a fitting farewell after Euro 2012, and to go out as captain would be appropriate.

Phil Jones

Manchester United's Phil Jones may only be 20 years old, but he has already emerged as a leader in Sir Alex Ferguson's squad, and has already been touted as the next great England captain.

While he may appear too young to shoulder the considerable burden of wearing the armband, consider that David Beckham was only 23 and not regarded as a natural leader like Jones when he was handed the captaincy.

After that seemingly naïve decision, Beckham captained his country for 58 games en route to accruing 115 total caps for England.

If Jones is really primed to be the next leader of the national team, it is better to get his reign started early and put an end to the recent short-term captaincies that have degraded the reputation of the position.

Joe Hart

Joe Hart has been an absolute brick wall in goal this season for Manchester City, and his forceful presence has saved the league leaders valuable points on several occasions.

Therefore, Hart has been one of those most frequently mentioned as a possible replacement for John Terry, and he has admitted that he would relish the opportunity to captain his country.

Manager Stuart Pearce, the man ultimately responsible for the decision, describes Hart as a player who has "developed brilliantly" and is "a big influence" around the England squad.

The goalkeeper would be another one of those captains for the future, as he is only 24 years old and faces little competition for the No. 1 shirt for the foreseeable future.

Wayne Rooney

Admittedly, Wayne Rooney would be a bit of an odd choice for captain because of his scandalous red card against Montenegro, which got him suspended for the first two matches of Euro 2012.

It is precisely this sort of fiery temper that would make Rooney a risky choice for captain. But at the same time, it would also make him one of the best.

Sir Alex Ferguson has recognized this by giving him Manchester United's armband on multiple occasions this season. Rooney, with his pugnacious personality, is the type of player who will take his teammates by the scruff of the neck and motivate them to give that last push for victory.

And if it is a leader by example that you want in your captain, the striker certainly has no shortage of quality to display to his teammates as an impetus to succeed.

Steven Gerrard

Steven Gerrard is the most obvious solution to England's captaincy problem, and the choice that Stuart Pearce should have made.

Now that he is back from a nasty groin injury, Liverpool's skipper is firing on all cylinders and is every bit the influential midfielder that he has always been.

Gerrard is still capable of being England's talisman, and there are few better leaders of men in all of world football than the man who has led his club team for a decade.

He still has more caps left in him, and if Pearce will appoint one 31-year-old, why not another with even more leadership pedigree?

Gerrard also has the experience of captaining England before, as he wore the armband during the 2010 World Cup after John Terry's first scandal.

There would truly be no more appropriate man to lead England out against the Netherlands and Europe's best sides this summer than Steven Gerrard.