Manchester City defender Reece Wabara is ready to lead England into the U20 World Cup.
The 19-year-old defender, who made his debut for City's first team last season, is currently preparing for tomorrow's opener against North Korea in Medellin.
Brian Eastwick's squad has been decimated by 20 withdrawals, with some clubs unwilling to allow their youngsters to travel to Colombia while a further nine are out injured.
But Wabara, nephew of ex-Liverpool and Aston Villa winger Mark Walters, said: "It is a shame other players are not here.
"You should always play for your country. Millions of kids dream about playing for England. I would never pull out - at any level.
"It will be an honour to captain my country and you have to lead by example, get the team going and hopefully bring some success for the boys and to England itself."