Former Aston Villa striker Gabby Agbonlahor has backed Jude Bellingham to replace Harry Kane as the next England captain, dismissing Declan Rice as the natural successor.
Speaking on talkSPORT, Agbonlahor described Bellingham’s leadership as a “no-brainer” and compared his influence on the pitch to Zinedine Zidane.
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He expressed his strong stance on the future of the England captaincy, despite manager Thomas Tuchel recently naming Declan Rice as the squad’s vice-captain.
In Agbonlahor’s view, the Real Madrid midfielder has been the driving force for the Three Lions, even suggesting that Bellingham’s ability to drag the team through difficult matches makes him the only definitive choice to inherit the armband from Kane.
“He’s the next England captain. Let’s not get it twisted, people talk about Declan Rice, no it’s not – Jude Bellingham is the next England captain after Harry Kane. No-brainer. Say no more,” said Agbonlahor.
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“He reminds me of Zidane, the way he plays and stuff. He’s dragging this team through at the moment. I think he’s world class, I really do.
“And also, you listen to him off the pitch, he’s got a real calmness about him as well. And I think he’s the next England captain after Harry Kane. I think he’s been excellent and really dragging this team through.”
