Eric Dier "would love" to take on England captaincy duties

By Daniel Lewis, Senior Reporter | 24 March 2017

Eric Dier says that captaining England "is an ambition" of his, as new manager Gareth Southgate prepares to name his long-term skipper.

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Eric Dier has admitted that he harbours hopes of one day being handed the England captain's armband on a permanent basis.

The 23-year-old is one of a number of contenders to potentially take on the role from Wayne Rooney, who appears to be reaching the end of his Three Lions career.

New boss Gareth Southgate is still unsure who will skipper his side for the remainder of their World Cup qualifying campaign, instead making a decision on a game-by-game basis for the time being.

Chelsea defender Gary Cahill was given the honour for Wednesday's defeat to Germany in Dortmund and remains the favourite to retain the armband for the long term, but Dier believes that he boasts the qualities required to one day take on the role himself.

"It's an ambition of mine. I would love to one day be able to do that," he told reporters. "That's something the manager decides and I'm sure he'll pick who he thinks is best.

"I think I've always had qualities that a captain may have and I think I can do that job."

Dier, widely considered to be England's best performer at Euro 2016, has been capped 16 times for the senior side.