When Manchester United signed Rio Ferdinand for a record fee for a defender of £30million in July 2002, Sir Alex Ferguson had earmarked him as the heir apparent to Roy Keane.

The Scot saw leadership qualities in the Peckham-born Leeds player that marked him out as the next captain at Old Trafford when the Irish midfielder eventually hung up his boots.

Six years later and the pecking order for the armband at Old Trafford is very different. Ferdinand is behind Gary Neville - when fit - Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes. The defender did take over the captaincy when Giggs was substituted against Liverpool on Sunday but it was purely a temporary measure.

Many at the club now see Wayne Rooney as the next candidate to lead the team once the three players from the class of '92 have retired. Ferguson still rates Ferdinand the defender but has been turned off Ferdinand the captain by a string of lurid headlines, making Fabio Capello's choice of the player as his skipper for the friendly with France tomorrow night all the more surprising.

Ferdinand was banned from football for eight months for missing a drugs test, has been banned from driving four times and it was claimed - later denied by the player - he organised last year's infamous United Christmas party. There is, of course, another side to Ferdinand and, like many Premier League stars, he supports charities and does his share of hospital visits.

From a playing point of view he was once considered one of the finest footballing centre-backs in the world. But while he did not allow Fernando Torres a sniff of goal against Liverpool, he looked like a novice in the defeat by Manchester City last month.

Ferdinand's delight at being named England captain will be matched by John Terry's disappointment at missing out, yet both men know that Capello will make no final decision on the captaincy until the start of the World Cup qualifying campaign in September.

The United star's sudden elevation does though throw serious doubt on Terry's prospects of retaining the armband during Capello's reign as manager.

Capello's decision to ask Ferdinand to lead the team here in Paris indicates that the Chelsea centre-half is no longer considered first choice for the job. Terry has been plagued by injury problems in recent months and hasn't looked as effective as last season.

Losing the captaincy could lead to further disappointment for Terry as his place in the team is threatened by the re-emergence of Jonathan Woodgate at Tottenham and the continuing development of Matthew Upson, who played in Capello's first match.

Terry missed Capello's opening game - the 2-1 win over Switzerland last month - because of injury. The Italian coach chose Ferdinand in his back four but gave the captaincy to Liverpool's Steven Gerrard.

But now, with Terry fit to return, the England coach has ignored his claims for the captaincy. Terry was given the armband by former manager Steve McClaren and led the team stoically throughout the failed campaign to qualify for the European Championship.

Ferdinand is now in the frame for the job, alongside Gerrard, but after today's announcement few will be backing Terry to succeed David Beckham in the long term.