It emerged today that John Terry has been stripped of the England captaincy by the Football Association amid allegations of racially abusing Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand.
With the captain's armband now up for grabs, attention turns to whom manager Fabio Capello will choose to replace the Chelsea centre-back.
Sports Mole considers the top candidates to lead the line for the Three Lions in this summer's European Championships.
Steven Gerrard
The Liverpool captain has emerged as the early favourite to obtain the England captaincy. The 31-year-old is the likeliest option following his experience leading the Three Lions in a difficult World Cup campaign in South Africa two years ago.
The midfielder has 89 caps for the national side and is returning to form for Liverpool after a six-month layoff with a groin problem and is likely to finish this season strongly.
Rio Ferdinand
Manchester United defender Ferdinand is also in the running to replace Terry following his previous term as Three Lions captain in 2008 and 2010. Despite his experience, there are concerns over the fitness of the Red Devils player, who has been dropped on a number of occasions from Sir Alex Ferguson's side this season.
If the 33-year-old can prove his form and pick up more games for the Premier League champions towards the close of the season, Ferdinand will be a top candidate for Fabio Capello.
Frank Lampard
The Chelsea playmaker is a contender for the position due to his wealth of experience with the national side and the fact that he has captained the Three Lions under Fabio Capello.
The 33-year-old does face a problem with cementing a regular starting position in the England side, with the likes of Steven Gerrard and Scott Parker vying for midfield spots in the first XI. This could prove a drawback in Lampard's chances of clinching the skipper's armband.
Ashley Cole
Fabio Capello is known to favour leaders that have the most experience at international level. With Chelsea defender Ashley Cole having the most caps in the current England side, the 31-year-old could be a credible candidate for the job.
However, Cole has had little experience leading a team during his career, which may force the Italian boss to select another member of the first team.
Joe Hart
Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart has an outside chance of being named as John Terry's successor. It has been well documented that Capello is attempting to rejuvenate the national team with younger players including the likes of Phil Jones, Danny Welbeck and Kyle Walker.
With Hart proving his worth at club and international level, the 24-year-old could be deemed a possible contender as he has cemented a regular spot in the Three Lions team.
