Scott Parker to captain England

Tottenham midfielder Scott Parker is to captain England for the first time in Wednesday's friendly against the Netherlands here at Wembley, according to reports. Interim England coach Stuart Pearce was due to tell his players at 1000 GMT who would lead the team, although he didn't want the official announcement to be publicised until an hour before kick-off. But Sky Sports News and the BBC reported that Parker had been chosen ahead of Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, who was thought to be in line. The FA have so far refused to confirm the reports, but if confirmed it will continue a remarkable transformation for Parker. When he was cut from then manager Fabio Capello's provisional 2010 World Cup squad without playing in either of the two warm-up matches, his international career appeared to be over. However, when Parker was handed an unexpected chance in Denmark last February, it began a series of performances that led to him being crowned England's 2011 player of the year. The 31-year-old has excelled since his summer move from West Ham to Tottenham and has been a key figure in his club's push for a top-four finish in the Premier League.