Fabio's leader: Manchester United striker Rooney will captain England admits Capello

The England coach recognises Rooney as the 'most talented' player in his squad and someone he rates 'a natural leader'.

"He is someone I believe will be captain in the future," said Capello in confirming Sportsmail's exclusive last month. "He is a leader. He sets a good example on the pitch."

The coach also made it clear he will not tolerate players putting summer breaks ahead of England's end-of-season friendlies against the U.S.A. and Trinidad and Tobago. He expects all his players to attend and those who do not, without a very good excuse, will jeopardise their international futures.

"By the time we play the U.S.A. game, some of them would have been on holiday for a week,' he said. 'But these are all things to overcome because we need to do our tests and try things.

"If a player doesn't love playing for England then perhaps he should stay at home. They must love the England shirt and that is all there is to it. If someone doesn't want to come to play for England it means he obviously doesn't love the England shirt enough. Obviously he must prefer to go on holiday."

Returning to the subject of the England captaincy, Capello added: "Obviously Wayne is very young so we need to give him a bit more time to get some more experience and mature."

Experience, and some coaching that is tailored specifically to his finishing skills, will also make Rooney, 22, a better player, according to Capello.

"I spoke to Rooney and I think technically he is very strong," he said. "But he needs to be more relaxed in front of goal. Not to have this obsession about scoring because he still doesn't take anywhere near as many chances as he should.

"But he can be coached to be more relaxed, with constant exercises and a lot of training in front of goal. Lots of training will make him calm."

Capello, in southern Africa as part of a Football Association coaching initiative, thinks it could be part of Rooney's game that comes later in his development.

"I've seen a few players who have looked like they were never going to become goalscorers," he said. "But at 26 or so they started getting goals. Players like Christian Vieri, Paolo Pulici (a Seventies Serie A goalscoring legend) and even Hernan Crespo. When Crespo first went to Italy, to Parma, he didn't score many. And then, after two seasons, he started getting loads of goals."

After assisting senior FA coaches develop the skills of coaches at the Bambatha Tsita Sports Arena in the capital Maseru — for which he amusingly received an umbrella that evoked certain memories of his predecessor — Capello again reflected on the issue of the captaincy.

If John Terry is hoping to be given an opportunity to lead out a side under Capello, there was little encouragement.

Asked if he felt he had treated the Chelsea skipper fairly, Capello said: "I have choices to make. I am running my own tests. And I will make my choice based on my ideas. The important thing is that everybody plays for England at the top of their game and as relaxed as they are for their clubs."

Had Terry's off-the-field conduct disturbed him? In particular the story of Terry leaving his Bentley in a disabled parking space? "It is life," he said. "It is a mistake he made. But it is not something I get angry about.

"We will see what happens at the end of next month. There are two more games, against the U.S.A. and Trinidad and Tobago, before I decide on my captain for the World Cup qualifying campaign."

Capello is happy with 'progress' since he took charge four months ago. "I think there is a reason why English players are not as strong technically as players from other countries," he said. "It has something to do with the weather. The English do not play in the sun.

"However, I see a shift in the culture. The three teams in the semi-finals of the Champions League play in different ways but are much more focused on keeping the ball. At Blackburn, I heard Mark Hughes say he was disappointed his team gave the ball away too easily. That is positive and a sign of progress."