SHOULD ROONEY CAPTAIN ENGLAND?

IF John Terry is ruled out of England's friendly with Brazil due to an ankle injury, it will pave the way for Wayne Rooney to captain his country for the first time.

Manchester United striker Rooney finished the defeat at Stamford Bridge wearing the armband but he could be about to realise a childhood dream by skippering the Three Lions.

Sir Alex Ferguson may not see his 24-year-old forward as a long-term option, claiming: "It's difficult for a forward to be captain", but the player has always had designs on being the leader on the pitch.

Back in April, Fabio Capello was asked if Rooney could be England captain. He replied: "Why not? Why not? You'll have to wait for the answer." And, on Friday, he admitted the forward would be Terry's stand-in.

As long as the responsibility does not weigh heavily on his shoulders, it can only act as a positive influence on Rooney's ever-maturing game.

Some will argue his volatile personality marks him out as a risk to skipper the team but the former Everton striker is showing signs that he is curbing his temper and becoming a father for the first time should help further relax the Red Devils star.

Admittedly, his "12 men" outburst to the cameras on Sunday at Chelsea was ill advised but Rooney's passion is one of the reasons why he is so exciting to watch - and so revered by the England and United fans.

There were other options open to Capello, of course, but not many of them.

With so many withdrawals for the Doha international, other obvious candidates - such as Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, David Beckham and Rio Ferdinand - are out of contention.

Gareth Barry of Manchester City was the strongest alternative after captaining Aston Villa for a long spell, with West Ham's Matthew Upson only ever an outside bet.

The word from Qatar is that Rooney is set to get the nod if Terry does not prove his fitness in time.

Perhaps Rooney has enough on his plate at the moment than to worry about any extra responsibility as he is the man most of the country's hopes rest on for South Africa.

Nonetheless, with his passion and enthusiasm for the role, he is an ideal choice for Saturday's friendly.

What do you think? Is Wayne Rooney captain material for England? Should he skipper Manchester United on a regular basis too? Please let us know using the feedback form below.

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