Terry has been overlooked for tonight's friendly against France, with Manchester United's Rio Ferdinand to wear the armband, but Anelka says: "I would have John as captain of England if I was England manager, that's for sure. Sometimes it's harder to be captain of Chelsea than it is for England. So if he can captain Chelsea, he can certainly do it for England.

"I think John is great. He is difficult to get past in training and if I play against him at the Stade de France, he will be a big challenge for me.

"He is very good. In a one-on-one, it is very difficult to pass him. In the air he is very strong too. He will make it very tough for me.

"I think he is world class. When you play for Chelsea you have to be world class, he's a captain, he's playing all of the top games for us in the Premier League and Champions League and he's a top-class player."