Capello keeps faith with Terry

While no one would question Terry's commitment, some would argue that in the not too distant past he has failed to recognise the responsibility that comes with being captain of your country. Though not quite as polished technically, Terry is more resilient than Ferdinand. His courage and willingness to play through injuries mark him out as a special player, but Ferdinand, having gone a long way towards repairing his own image, now ticks most of the boxes off the field and few would question his credentials on it.

Once prone to lapses of concentration, he has largely eradicated that flaw from his game and is now regarded by Capello and his coaches as probably the world's most accomplished central defender but for now the captaincy remains a dream.

As an inspirational figure on the field of play, Liverpool's Steven Gerrard would probably have been my choice as captain though the burden of leading the team has weighed heavily on him in the past.

As a defensive combination, Ferdinand and Terry are among the best in the world and, as London boys from similar working class backgrounds, they have a natural affinity. Terry, of course, can trace his roots back to Moore's Barking suburbs while Ferdinand learned his trade on the same West Ham training ground at Chadwell Heath that produced England's World Cup winning captain.

Critics claimed that Moore couldn't run, couldn't tackle or head the ball but the truth is that the England and West Ham captain rarely had to resort to such desperate remedies.

His positioning and ability to read the game as it unfolded in front of him meant that he could usually snuff out danger before it happened.

And, like all good leaders, Moore responded to the big occasions - a quality that underpinned David Beckham's eight-year reign as captain.

Beckham was a fine leader whose iconic profile gave the England captaincy a new celebrity status. He recognised that with status came responsibility and media scrutiny.

During his time as skipper under McClaren, Terry sometimes failed to follow path of respectability mapped out by Beckham. Now that Fabio Capello has seen fit to retain him in the position, Terry must ensure he always shows the captaincy the respect it deserves.