Phil Jagielka insists being England captain is 'icing on the cake' ahead of Euro 2016 tie

Phil Jagielka will captain England against Lithuania in the final Euro 2016 qualifier

PHIL JAGIELKA makes no bones about the fact he is playing for his place on the plane for next summer's European Championships in France.

 

But for 90 minutes he is determined to pull on his captain's armband and enjoy himself as this is the sort of thing he could not ever bring himself to dream of as a boy.

Qualification having been secured, Gary Cahill's mischievous back, an artificial pitch and injury to club team-mate John Stones have all conspired to give Jagielka the chance to pull on an England shirt tonight.

The fact he will lead out the team is testament largely to a shortage of other candidates, leaving Hodgson's sixth skipper in three years in the unusual predicament of having to battle for his place while leading by example.

 

This is Roy Hodgson's sixth skipper in three years

Can he afford, then, to go out on the pitch tonight - with the added pressure of England looking to complete a 10 wins out of 10 qualifying campaign - and really soak up the occasion.

"I think I have to," he said. "Being captain is a massive icing on the cake and not something I envisaged. It is something I am looking forward to.

"It is one of highs of my career - something you can tell the kids. I have been delighted to wear the armband in games before but I have never had the opportunity to lead a side out.

 

Jagielka insists being captain is a proud moment but admits his Euro 16 spot is out of his hands

"It is something I do on a regular basis at home with my club but to do it for my country it did not even seem like a dream. It was that far-fetched. Growing up I just wanted to be a footballer - captaining the country would be something you never thought about.

"And anyway, the selection side of things is out of my hands. All I can do is continue to play well for Everton and get a chance to play in Roy's team and get these opportunities.

"Hopefully I can get to be captain against Lithuania and also go on to play in France.

  

Gary Cahill did not travel to Lithuania as he nurses a back injury

"But ultimately it is all about playing and the main thing is I want to be on the plane."

Hodgson seems determined to play largely his strongest teams in the high-octane friendlies to come against Spain, France, Germany and Holland so for many - arguably including Jagielka himself - this could be the last chance to shine on an international stage.

"Some of us might not get much game-time before the summer," he said. "The opportunities in the meet-ups between now and France are going to be slim and if you are fortunate enough to put a shirt on against Lithuania, you have got to prove to Roy that you are a good footballer and you can perform in this team. And perform well.

"We want to give him a little bit more of a headache over the selection."