Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has backed his midfielder Javier Mascherano for the Argentina captaincy .

Benitez told Liverpoolfc.tv: "Mascherano has the character and mentality to be a captain.

"It is an important situation for anyone - to captain their country. If someone says to you that you can be captain of England or Argentina or Spain, it is a massive honour because they are big, big countries.

"If he has the chance he could do it."