5 players who can replace Wayne Rooney as England captain

5) Eric Dier

Eric Dier - one for the future?

If Southgate wants to pick a long-term captain, a midfielder would also be ideal. A number of players in the middle of the park have made great captains and Eric Dier would be a good shout.

The 23-year-old from Tottenham Hotspur is usually deployed as a defensive midfielder shielding the back-four but he has also played in defence when required. And he also seems to have a mature head on his shoulders.

In the past, the Three Lions dressing room has been guilty of cliques with players from each club forming groups in the squad. That is no longer the case according to Dier.

"There were 15 different clubs represented when this squad was announced. I can’t see any kind of club culture here. England is not like that at present, everyone just gets on really well." - Dier

Although on the younger side, he is considered a role model of sorts in the England setup. He also understands the importance and the pressure associated with being a modern day footballer with kids looking up to him.

"It is important that we footballers try to carry ourselves in the right way because there are millions of kids looking up to us. Every player takes that seriously." - Dier

Pure captaincy material, that!