Robson says Three Lions lack leader

ENGLAND: ‘Captain Marvel’ says there is no clear choice for skipper’s armband

‘Captain Marvel’ Bryan Robson does not believe there is a stand-out candidate to skipper England any more.

Gareth Southgate’s reign as Three Lions boss has brought a change in tack when it comes to the captaincy, through a mixture of design and circumstance.

Wayne Rooney initially wore the armband but a lack of form led the England boss to experiment before his international retirement, meaning five different players have led their country out in his 10 games in charge.

Southgate is still weighing up what to do in regards to a permanent captaincy – a decision Robson believes has been made harder by the options available.

“I don’t think it’s a burden,” former England skipper Robson told Press Association Sport when asked about the pressures of leading out the country.

“It’s just a player who can lead by example and enjoy the role and take on what the coach is saying and just help your team-mates.

“I think that’s part of it but I just don’t think there is any standout player out there, who stands out and you say ‘he should definitely be the England captain’.”

Jordan Henderson, Harry Kane, Gary Cahill and Joe Hart are the four current squad members to have skippered the side under Southgate, whose decision to share the armband is also aimed at improving leadership within the group.

Another area where there is no easy fix is midfield, where the lack of options has been highlighted by Southgate.

It is also an area of concern for Robson but he believes England’s solution could be Dele Alli, once the Tottenham man returns from the avoidable suspension for a rude gesture that rules him out of tomorrow’s World Cup qualifier against Slovenia.