Ferdinand wants England captaincy

Rio Ferdinand is keen to hold on to the England captaincy. He captained the national team for the friendly with France in March and also donned the Manchester United armband during Gary Neville's long-term absence through injury.

Manager Fabio Capello appointed Steven Gerrard as captain in his first match in charge of England while John Terry, the skipper under Steve McClaren, is also a candidate.

Ferdinand said: "Being the captain of England is an honour and privilege. It's not the be-all and end-all for me. If I'm not the captain I won't shrivel up and go into a shell.

"I'll still play with commitment. But I'd be lying if I said I would not like the captaincy on a regular basis. Of course I want it. Any player would."