Henderson England captaincy option if Roy looks past Rooney

Jordan Henderson could emerge as a surprise contender to follow in the footsteps of Liverpool teammate Steven Gerrard to become England captain, according to former Reds star Joe Cole.

The Liverpool midfielder has made just 13 appearances for the Three Lions but was picked by Roy Hodgson alongside Steven Gerrard at the heart of England’s midfielder for their World Cup fixtures with Italy and Uruguay.

And with Gerrard now retired from international duty the race to replace him as captain is heating up with Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney the 1/3 favourite to get the armband.

But Cole, who recently joined Aston Villa on a two-year deal, has warned against the dangers of heaping too much responsibility on to Rooney, while championing Henderson’s cause.

Chelsea defender Gary Cahill, one of England’s “better” performers at the World Cup, is also sure to be in the mix for the job and is available at odds of 9/2, while goalkeeper Joe Hart is an 11/2 shout for the role.

But at 33/1 with Ladbrokes, Henderson, could be the outsider to take a punt on ahead of the likes of Everton duo Leighton Baines and Phil Jagielka and Arsenal star Jack Wilshere.

The former Sunderland man has recently admitted gaining the England captaincy is a long-term ambition. He also insisted it would be a huge honour to lead the national side, throwing his name into the mix for the position.

“I’m sure there will be a lot of people in front of me,” he said. “Obviously it will be a great honour. I’ve done it for the U21s, it was a massive thing for me. To captain your country at any level is a great honour.

“I took great pride in wearing the armband. Every time I played I tried to lead by example. It’s the same in the seniors – I try to lead by example. But it will be up to the manager to decide.”

There is no doubt the 24-year-old would be a bold choice but with his experience of leading his country’s side at the 2013 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, he could emerge as a serious option for Hodgson to consider in opposition to the front three in the market to replace Gerrard.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.