Leeds United manager Neil Warnock has no doubts that Everton defender Phil Jagielka can replace John Terry in the heart of England's defence.
The Chelsea captain announced his retirement from international football on Sunday, leading to speculation over who will take his place in the Three Lions backline.
Warnock worked with Jagielka when the two were at Sheffield United, and ahead of their meeting in the Capital One Cup on Tuesday, the 63-year-old believes that England have a ready-made replacement for Terry in the form of the Toffees centre-back.
"Jaggy is one of the top players now and, to me, the future of the country. Possibly with Terry not being around, he will be able to blossom even more," said Warnock. "I don't mean that in a disrespectful way to John. But he is such an imposing figure that you are not quite yourself when he is around.
"Now, Jaggy can blossom. He is cool, reads the game well and has improved an awful lot on the ball. That was a problem many years ago. Every aspect has improved, in particular his defensive heading. Also, his awareness is better.
"Jaggy didn't really know what his best position was for a long time. He played everywhere – centre midfield, right-back, centre-half, even though he wasn't a very big centre-half. Mind, probably the best game he had for me was in goal against Arsenal."
Leeds host Everton in the Capital One Cup on Tuesday evening.
Matt Cotton
