Gareth Barry is the ideal candidate to replace John Terry as England captain, according to Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini.
The Italian tactician has waded into the ongoing discussions surrounding the national team following the Football Association's decision to relieve Terry of the armband last week, which ultimately resulted in Fabio Capello prematurely calling time on his stint as Three Lions coach on Wednesday.
All the talk has centred on who will replace Capello in the hot-seat ahead of this summer's European Championships, but Mancini feels finding a suitable replacement for Terry is just as urgent.
And, he is in no doubt that City's in-form midfielder, Barry, possesses all the right attributes to be a success in the role, while he acknowledged that Liverpool star Steven Gerrard and Tottenham's Scott Parker will also be in the running.
Mancini feels 30-year-old Barry, who has 51 caps to his name, does not get the recognition his England performances deserve, descring him as 'really important'.
He added on FIFA.com: "He could be [captain] because he is a good man, a clever man on and off the pitch. He is a really good player.
"For me, like for Capello, he should play always for the national team because he is a very intelligent man.
"He has played a lot of games for the national team but I think there are two or three players who could be captain."