29-year-old shot-stopper Joe Hart will captain the England side for the FIFA World Cup’s qualifier game against Lithuania at Wembley on Sunday.
The Manchester City loanee has played all four of England’s qualifying matches in the competition and was also present in their friendlies against Spain and Germany. He is one of the most senior members in the squad and is unarguably one of the most important members as well, but he fears that his national stint could end in a blink of an eye.
“Rooney has a huge presence but football has got a way of this happening to you.
“You just meet up with the squad and whoever is fit and available you meet up with.
“You would probably be saying the same about me if I wasn’t in the squad but, if I wasn’t here, I don’t think it would make much of a difference.”
Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney and Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson were given the captain’s armband twice in the qualifying games, while Chelsea’s Gary Cahill was given the nod in the game against Germany in Dortmund, where England played an experimented 3-4-3.
Hart, who will be making his 70th appearance for England, will be given the armband because Gary Cahill is suspended, while both Chris Smalling and Jordan Henderson are out injured. Speaking about the same, the stopper said that it is an honour to guide his side in the next game.
“The manager has made it pretty clear it is just an armband to him.
“He wants the players, whether that is me, or Marcus Rashford or whoever, to lead.
“There are different ways to lead and it’s not just about being the most experienced or being the most vocal.
“If you look at clubs, sometimes the club captain is not necessarily involved on the pitch.
“Maybe at clubs it’s more important because it is about organising.
“Wayne is still the England captain but when he is not here it is Jordan Henderson and it moves down from there.”
