Owen Hargreaves has given Manchester United team-mate Rio Ferdinand his backing to become the long-term England captain.

England are preparing for Wednesday's friendly with USA at Wembley and the meeting with Trinidad & Tobago on 1st June as manager Fabio Capello continues to examine the players at his disposal.

Following his appointment in January, Capello announced that he was set to rotate his captains before selecting a permanent on-field leader for the beginning of the 2010 World Cup qualifiers in September.

However, Hargreaves believes that Capello should stick with Ferdinand after the defender helped skipper United to a Premier League and UEFA Champions League double in the absence of injured club captain Gary Neville.

"There are a lot of individuals who could possibly be captain," Hargreaves told a press conference live on Sky Sports News.

"Rio has been the most consistent player in England. He had a tremendous season and epitomised everything we did. He would be a fantastic captain.

"There are other options with Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, John Terry and David Beckham. There are so many options and that is a decision the manager will make."