McClaren delighted with 'inspirational' Terry

Steve McClaren hailed John Terry’s inspirational leadership skills after he opened the scoring on his first game as England captain.

Terry, 25, put England on the road to 4-0 win in their friendly against European champions Greece, scoring his second international goal with a header in the 14th minute.

Frank Lampard added the second and Peter Crouch scored two more before half-time.

McClaren, for whom the game was his first in charge, said: “It was a dream start. It’s been a difficult time for John since he was made captain, with the hype and the high profile, but he’s handled it as I expected.

“He gave a performance that was an inspiration for the rest of the players.

“That’s what a captain does and he did it well tonight.”

The result marked the best start for an England manager since Walter Winterbottom won his first game 7-2 against Northern Ireland in 1946.

McClaren said: “It was a proud moment. I’m in a very privileged position. I know that. I’ve been part of the set-up for a while but to lead is different.

“It’s exciting and challenging.”