Beckham tips Terry

David Beckham has pressed the claims of John Terry to become England captain.

Real Madrid midfielder Beckham will lead out The Three Lions for the 50th time on Saturday when he comes up against old foes Argentina in Geneva.

But the honour of skippering his country for the 50th occasion comes amidst a backdrop of who will eventually succeed him in the role.

Newcastle United striker Michael Owen currently takes on the job in Beckham's absence, while Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard is another contender for the long term.

Frank Lampard has been mentioned but it is his Chelsea team-mate Terry who appears to have impressed Beckham the most.

Beckham eulogised over the attributes of Terry and feels the centre half has the perfect credentials to captain his country.

"I think John has the qualities to be an England captain," said Beckham.

"At Chelsea he proves he's a great captain and many players in his team come out and say he's a great skipper.

"With a great manager like Jose Mourinho picking him as captain, he is definitely a leader. He's got the kind of inspirational qualities that an England skipper needs.

"He's a great leader on the pitch. He shows a lot of passion and that's what every team needs, a player with that quality who leads from defence and can control the team. That is what he's got."