Gary Cahill has admitted that captaining England in their Euro 2016 qualifying fixture against Estonia on Friday night will be a proud moment for him and his family, according to the Daily Star.
England’s first choice skipper Wayne Rooney was ruled out of Friday’s match after picking up an ankle injury in training, and Roy Hodgson told Chelsea’s centre-back that he would lead the team out during Thursday’s morning session.
Cahill, who has been capped 35 times since his debut in 2010, is an obvious choice for captaincy, and is relishing his opportunity.
It was yesterday morning that the boss told me and it will be a proud moment for me, for myself and my family. They’ll be down, as they always are. It’ll be a special moment for them as well. I will approach the game like I would any game.
Although feeling immense pride, Cahill ensured the press that his feet are remaining firmly on the ground:
I don’t want to change anything, but will play the same game and have the same mentality as if I was captain or not. But it’s something I’m very proud about. It’ll be a special day and I want to enjoy it as much as I can.
Despite a disappointing start to the season with Chelsea, Cahill is still welcoming the increased competition for places in the England squad. Singling out the likes of Phil Jagielka, Chris Smalling and John Stones, the Blues defender has emphasised the importance of fighting for his place. Speaking to the media, he said:
There’s competition for sure with England. Phil Jagielka is very experienced and has done well for England whenever he’s called up. Chris Smalling has started this season at Manchester United fantastically well, and I played the last game alongside him. He’s doing really well this season.
The 29-year-old was also quick to praise John Stones, who Chelsea fans will be hoping to see in a different blue shirt come January.
Of course he’s had a fantastic season on the back end of last season, with all the speculation he’s kept his head down and done well.
England face Estonia at Wembley on Friday night at in their final home Euro 2016 qualifier, before travelling to Lithuania in their final game. Results in these two matches don’t matter too much, as the team has already qualified for next year’s tournament, but an unbeaten run would certainly help boost confidence.
