Gareth Southgate is rotating the England captain's armband again... here's what makes a great leader

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Gareth Southgate is set to hand Harry Kane the England captaincy for the upcoming pair of World Cup qualifying matches, starting with Thursday's clash with Slovenia at Wembley. 

BRYAN ROBSON knows a thing or two about leading his country, with 65 of his 90 England caps coming as captain.

Here, Robson draws on his vast experience as skipper to explain the characteristics which make a good leader of the Three Lions.

Bryan Robson captained England on 65 occasions during his 11-year international career

SETTING THE STANDARD

I was always conscious that I had to get my own game right, then I felt I could lead by example.

Words are hollow if you have to criticise someone but you are not doing your own job.

You need to play your game then encourage others or criticise if they are slack or lazy, not just for the sake of it. As long as you get a reaction, that’s the end of it. Unless it’s serious, there is no need to carry on an argument afterwards in the dressing room.

From the age of eight I was always made captain of the teams I played for so I had a sense of responsibility and that stayed with me even when I played under someone else. Kevin Keegan and Mick Mills were good captains who all talked well but primarily made sure they did their job.

Gareth Southgate will hand Harry Kane the captaincy for the Slovenia and Lithuania games

BIG PERSONALITY

Kevin Keegan was captain of England when I was first called into the squad.

You couldn’t help but respect Kevin. He had played for Liverpool and Hamburg, had been voted European Footballer of the Year and he had a strong personality.

He was next to George Best in terms of being in the spotlight, attracting commercial deals, doing adverts for aftershaves, radios and boots . . . he had a big profile in England and Europe. Yet Kevin worked incredibly hard at his game and was a very good player.

He also ensured I was made to feel welcome when I came into the squad and that helped me settle in quickly. It was important to ensure there were no cliques and that is something I took forward myself.

Robson said former England captain Kevin Keegan commanded respect due to his accolades

RELISH RESPONSIBILITY

When you become England captain everyone seems to want something from you. That’s the territory and you need to relish it. Media demands increase massively.

Today, players have the benefit of media training lessons. I didn’t. I had to ensure I did not say something that could be blown out of proportion or I would face having to learn my lesson for next time.

Be wise enough not to criticise in public, keep it in house and, on the pitch, don’t just shout for effect.

Some people don’t realise how difficult it is to play against top international sides. It’s not the same as the Premier League, no matter what quality you face week in, week out. You must be able to handle the criticism that comes.

Robson stresses the importance of players from different clubs mixing on international duty

LEAD AND LIAISE

So often you hear of national sides where the players from the same club all stick together but I would always make sure I sat with different players at dinner and made a point of mixing with the new ones who came into the squad.

When I was at West Bromwich Albion I learned a lot from the centre half and captain John Wile who put a lot of stock in getting the players out together to bond as it fostered good team spirit.

Under Bobby Robson, the England lads would go out to play a few rounds of golf and once, prior to a game against Switzerland, we went to the races. You also have to sort out any differences behind the scenes.

Rather than isolate myself I found it was good to have a group of senior players to discuss any grumbles from the squad, then, as captain, I would go to the manager.

Kane has scored 10 times in 21 England appearances since making his debut in March 2015

At England sometimes some of the lads wouldn’t be happy about the training times or bonus money and after a group discussion I would go and speak to the manager and the secretary to get it sorted.

Away from England, Sir Alex Ferguson was very good for that. He was a great listener and I always felt that was the sign of strong character in a manager.

I would go and say my piece and he would take it on board then give you his decision. Even if you didn’t get what you wanted you at least felt you had aired your views. It wasn’t the Brian Clough method of ‘we discuss it for 20 minutes then decide I was always right’.

ENJOY IT

Being made England captain is a great honour, so be proud, relish it and enjoy it. If you enjoy it, your football becomes easier.