John Terry or Steven Gerrard? Vote For Your England Captain!

David Beckham’s resignation after England’s exit from Germany 2006 leaves us with only two real options for the captain’s post – Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard and Chelsea captain John Terry.

Both are ideal candidates with impeccable credentials:

• The age factor – at 25, both Gerrard and Terry can expect to be in their prime come Euro 2008 and World Cup 2010. Gary Neville and Rio Ferdinand, two other options, do not offer England that sort of long-term planning.
• Experience – both are captains of their clubs and have been responsible for the stunning form Liverpool and Chelsea have shown in the last two years.
• Reliability – John Terry and Steven Gerrard are two of England’s most reliable players (that cannot be said for Michael Owen, another candidate for captaincy).

While both are not ideal captains for me (I’d prefer Becks or Rio to captain the side – United bias), the fact remains that these two are the most popular and likely choices available to Steve McClaren.

Personally, I don’t think having a defender as a captain is a great idea. Sure, Terry’s will to win in second to none, but he has not had to carry the hopes of a whole team like Gerrard has for so long, and the midfielder has raised his game with the added responsibility (as long as he was ensured the recognition for it). What’s more, position-wise, Gerrard is England’s best option. He is an attacking midfielder with an uncanny sense of defending. What Gerrard lacks is authority in the dressing room, which is where Terry wins the points for being a captain that not only fights on the pitch but also is a leader behind the scenes.

So who will it be? Steven Gerrard or John Terry?

Update: No Chelsea fans? There’s an overwhelming bias towards Steven Gerrard in the poll results so far.

Also, remember that you can add your comments to the captaincy debate in the comments section below.

Update 2: Voting is now closed. Here are the results:

Steven Gerrard (93.8%)
John Terry (6.2%)

Next captain? Will if you are to go with what the pundits are saying, it will be Terry.