Wales v England: No apology as Capello concedes error over captaincy

Terry will lead his country into battle for the first time since October 2009 at the Millennium Stadium today after Capello decided the defender had served his punishment for well-publicised off-field revelations that caused the England coach to strip him of the honour in the first place.

Currently nursing a calf problem that threatens the remainder of his season, Ferdinand would have been unable to play today.

Even so, that does not explain the lack of contact from Capello about his loss of status.

The Italian was intending to raise the subject at Old Trafford last week ahead of Manchester United’s Champions League win over Marseille.

However, at no point was Ferdinand contacted and made aware of Capello’s intention.

It means they still have not spoken and Capello understands that may have caused some angst for the 32-year-old.

“Maybe I made a mistake,” said Capello. “It is possible to do everything better. I don’t like to speak about the captaincy on the phone. I prefer to speak personally.

“I tried to meet him and it didn’t happen. I waited for him in the directors’ box just before the game started, but it didn’t happen.”

Capello reached his decision about Terry getting the armband for today’s game during last month’s friendly win in Denmark, when three players had the honour when he remained on the field.

His attitude hardened once he knew Ferdinand and Steven Ger rard would be ruled out through injury, only to dig a large hole for himself by failing to understand the word permanent would be interpreted as Terry getting the job full-time, as he now has been.

The captaincy furore has echoes of a declaration in August during a TV interview that David Beckham would not be selected for his country again without having spoken to the player.

Former Three Lions striker Gary Lineker certainly thinks Capello has lost interest in the job, even if the Italian insists it is not correct.

“Gary Lineker sometimes speaks a lot and writes a lot. I did the same job. It is easy to speak. He doesn’t know me very well.”

Instead, Capello insists his appetite to complete the job he is paid £6m to do remains unsated.

“If my mind’s not okay to drive this team, I go home. We have played three games, we have seven points and we’ve played some games very well.”

But does he still enjoy the job?

“Absolutely. For me, the most important thing is to be focused on the games. It is my job.”

Capello has handed Jack Wilshere a starting spot today convinced the teenager can handle such a huge responsibility.

It represents a startling elevation for a player who had only seven minutes of international experience behind him when England last played a Euro 2012 qualifier.

Wilshere did not get on the field that night against Montenegro and was injured when England lost to France the following month.

While he did start the February victory in Denmark, the 19-year-old was replaced at half-time.

Since then, Arsenal have bowed out of the Champions League to Barcelona but, as a detached observer, Capello only saw the positives and said: “Jack Wilshere will start. He is one of the young players who has improved a lot.

“He has got a lot better since he played the first game with us at Wembley.

“He plays like someone who has played a lot of games. Like someone who is 28 or 29. He was fantastic against Barcelona. He was a leader. It is not easy to find players like him, who play without fear in a stadium like the Nou Camp.

“I spoke with Arsene Wenger and he told me the same thing. He said he had been surprised about how Jack Wilshere was doing in such a short space of time.”

Capello would presumably have been expressing similar sentiments about Andy Carroll had the new Liverpool striker not arrived on Merseyside carrying an injury.

While Carroll has made his comeback, he is not fit enough for England to consider him as a partner for Wayne Rooney today.

“I monitored Andy Carroll in the games that he played for Liverpool and went to see him personally,” Capello added. “He needs more games to play at the level he was at before he was injured.”

Darren Bent or Jermain Defoe will get the job of bringing the best out of Rooney.