In South Africa Rio Ferdinand will be the tenth man to lead England out at a World Cup since 1950. By captaining England at the World Cup, Ferdinand will do something most professional players can only dream of.

Defence has been the most prominent position for England’s World Cup captains since first entering the 1950 World Cup in Brazil. The legendary Billy Wright took us into three World Cups in 1950, 1954 and 1958, while  Bobby Moore famously lifted the cup in 1966 and led our defence in 1970. Mick Mills stepped in for the injured Kevin Keegan in 1982 and Terry Butcher skippered the team in the knockout stages in 1990. Rio Ferdinand looks set to join this elite group by wearing the skipper’s armband in South Africa. When you add 125-cap goalkeeper Peter Shilton, who captained the team during both the 1986 and 1990 tournaments, then over half of England’s World Cup captains have plied their trade in the first half of the pitch.

Yet it is not just defenders who have worn the captain’s armband. The more advanced positions on the pitch have seen some equally distinguished players lead their country at the highest level. Fulham player Johnny Haynes led Walter Winterbottom’s England team at the ’62 World Cup Finals in Chile, taking the team to the quarter-finals where they were beaten 3-1 by Brazil. Bryan Robson began the 1986 and 1990 tournaments as captain before injury curtailed his dynamic performances from midfield, with Shilton and Butcher stepping in to replace him. In 1998, Alan Shearer led the England team to the last 16, with goals against Tunisia and Argentina making him the side’s joint top scorer in the tournament along with Michael Owen.

Fulham stalwart Haynes’ ability to pick out precise passes has led some to draw parallels between him and England’s most famous captain of recent years, David Beckham. Although the former Manchester United and Real Madrid midfielder had to endure strong criticism from the media and fans following his sending off against Argentina at France’98, his performances as captain under Sven Goran Eriksson helped win over the critics. Beckham’s last-gasp free-kick against Greece at Old Trafford in 2001, which sealed his side’s qualification for the World Cup in Korea and Japan, will live long in the memories of England fans. Unfortunately, Beckham will not play in South Africa after sustaining an injury while playing for AC Milan.

Although Fabio Capello has named Rio Ferdinand as captain for South Africa, he will also look to senior players such as Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and John Terry to play important roles.

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