Bellingham the Obvious Choice for England Captaincy, Says Agbonlahor

Gabby Agbonlahor has left little room for debate when discussing who should inherit the England captaincy from Harry Kane – and it's decidedly not Declan Rice.

With the Three Lions preparing for a World Cup semi-final against Argentina, the conversation has already turned to the future leadership of the side. England have now reached the last four in two of the last three tournaments, and should they progress further, they'd feature in only their second World Cup final.

Both Kane and Bellingham have been the standout performers in Thomas Tuchel's squad this tournament, each contributing six goals and an assist. Speaking on talkSPORT, Agbonlahor made his position crystal clear: Bellingham is the natural successor.

"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," Agbonlahor declared. "No-brainer. Say no more."

The pundit drew comparisons to one of football's greatest midfielders, noting Bellingham's on-pitch excellence and demeanour off it. "He reminds me of Zidane, the way he plays. He's dragging this team through at the moment. I think he's world class, I really do. You listen to him off the pitch – he's got a real calmness about him as well."

Experience on both sides

Bellingham already possesses captaincy pedigree, becoming Borussia Dortmund's youngest-ever Bundesliga captain when he took the armband at just 19 in 2022. Gareth Southgate, Tuchel's predecessor, identified his leadership potential, remarking that "he's definitely got leadership qualities."

Rice, however, comes with considerably more captaincy experience. He wore the Arsenal armband several times last season and previously led West Ham to UEFA Conference League success. The midfielder has captained England on two occasions – friendlies against Belgium and Wales, the latter coming under Tuchel's watch.

Bellingham did don the Three Lions armband during the second half of the World Cup warm-up against New Zealand in June, though he wasn't captain for the opening period of that fixture.

Both players have demonstrated their leadership credentials during Tuchel's tenure, leaving the manager with options should he need to make a change in the future.