JAMES MILNER last night insisted he could handle the job of England captain.
Caretaker boss Stuart Pearce has not named his skipper for tomorrow’s friendly against Holland after the armband was taken off the injured John Terry.
Manchester City midfielder Milner was mentioned by Pearce as an ideal candidate due to his experience, unselfish attitude and because he is a team player.
Steven Gerrard is favourite to get the nod but Milner has admitted he would jump at the chance.
He also feels being part of a world-class dressing room at the Etihad gives him the experience to handle such a massive job.
The 26-year-old, who has 23 caps, said: “As a kid growing up you want to play for your country and dream of one day captaining your country.
“And if I was asked to do that I would be very proud and do it to the best of my ability on and off the field.
“I don’t see why I would not be ready for it. I have played enough games in the Premier League and been a professional for nearly 10 years now.
“If I’m asked to do the job I will jump at the chance and do it as best I could.
“I wouldn’t be put off by the responsibilities of being England captain.
“As a footballer I always try to do everything I can to get the best out of my abilities. Whether that’s through preparation or training or whatever I will always try to improve as a player.
“It would be the same if you were asked to be captain, you’d do everything you can to help yourself and the team.
“Nothing changes there, really. Your responsibilities, your Press demands go up. People might look on you slightly differently. But as a player you still go out there to play as well as you can for England. Nothing changes.
“Maybe it is easier now to handle be- ing a captain because I have been play- ing with big players at Man City.”
Milner knows Pearce well having earned 46 caps with the Under-21s and he insists there is more to the caretaker boss than punching walls.
He said: “It is great to be working with someone who had the playing career he did. He has that passion and as a manager he has gone to a couple of Under- 21s championships which are very different to club football so he has had that experience of a major tournament.
“As a manager he knows when to kick you up the backside and knows when to put an arm around you.
“People expect him to always be punch- ing walls and throwing tea cups but that is not the case.”
OTHER BOLLOX
Liverpool are lining up summer spending spree with moves for Athletic Bilbao midfielder Javi Martinez, 23, Barcelona's Mali midfielder Seydou Keita, 32, and Lille's 21-year-old Belgian playmaker Eden Hazard.
Barcelona and Mali midfielder Seydour Keita could be on his way to Anfield. Daily Mirror
Liverpool will watch FC Basel midfielder Granit Xhaka in action for Switzerland this week, after director of football Damien Comolli received glowing reports on the 19-year-old starlet. Metro
Arsenal keeper Wojciech Szczesny is confident that striker Robin van Persie will remain at Emirates Stadium beyond this season. The 28-year-old Dutchman has a year left on his contract and has said he will not discuss fresh terms until the summer. London Evening Standard
But Arsenal's Moroccan forward Marouane Chamakh could be offered an escape route out by Italian side Fiorentina. Daily Mirror
Harry Redknapp wants to manage Arsenal midfielder Theo Walcott, 22, again - either with England or Spurs. The pair worked together when they were with Southampton. Daily Express
Birmingham want Manchester United defender Ritchie de Laet on loan to strengthen their promotion bid. Daily Mirror
The agent of Manchester United's French teenager Paul Pogba says discussions over his future are "precarious". The Independent
Newcastle are leading the chase to sign Dijon's 24-year-old midfielder Benjamin Corgnet. talkShite
Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher, 34, says that lifting the Carling Cup can be the catalyst for the Reds to enjoy major success on a regular basis again. talkShite
Meanwhile, Cardiff's Anthony Gerrard turned to Twitter to apologise to fans at missing the crucial penalty in the Carling Cup final shoot-out against Liverpool. Daily Telegraph
Manchester United defender Jonny Evans, 24, has hit out at critics who claim he is enduring a difficult season in the Premier League. Daily Mail
Former Blackburn captain Chris Samba has dismissed suggestions that he only moved to Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala for financial reasons. The Sun
Chelsea boss Andre-Villas Boas has admitted for the first time he fears the Chelsea axe. Daily Mirror
Bolton captain Kevin Davies claims the mood around the club is still positive despite the club's deepening relegation worries and says he hopes to feature in Saturday's game against Manchester City after a knee injury. Bolton News
Queens Park Rangers chairman Tony Fernandes is planning to listen to the concerns of irate fans on a pub crawl before Saturday's game with Everton. Daily Star
Fulham's January signing Pavel Pogrebnyak has admitted that he is finding the pace of the Premier League exhausting, although the Russian has scored in each of his first two games. Goal.com
Paul Scholes says Manchester United may have to win all of their remaining 12 league games if they are to win the title. Manchester Evening News
Premier League referees get 92% of decisions correct according to Prozone computer technology. Daily Mail
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