LISTEN: Rio Ferdinand tells talkSPORT Wayne Rooney has to continue as England captain

Rio Ferdinand says Wayne Rooney has to continue as England captain.

New Three Lions boss Sam Allardyce has assured the Manchester United striker he still has a major role to play for his country but has yet to confirm whether he will keep the armband.

For Ferdinand, however, it is an easy decision to keep his vastly experienced former teammate on as skipper.

Speaking on Kick Off, the ex-England captain said: "If he [Allardyce] thinks Wayne Rooney is an integral part of his team, then he has to be captain because he is the most experienced player.

"The other players are going to look to him when something goes wrong, if he is in the starting 11, and say: 'Wayne, what do we do? You have been here a million times, how do we get out of this?'."