Fabio Capello opens on John Terry captaincy furore that made him quit on the spot

The Italian took over from Steve McClaren after the Three Lions missed out on qualification for Euro 2008.

At a time when England's 'golden era' led by David Beckham was in transition, Capello was heralded by the FA as a much-needed disciplinarian, despite having little grasp of the English language.

The Italian quickly thrust himself into the thick of things, guiding England to qualification for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

And the 77-year-old has looked back on his time as England manager with happiness despite a poor showing in 2010 and his impromptu exit from the role.

Capello quit on the spot when the FA intervened and stripped Terry of the captaincy after being accused of racially abusing Anton Ferdinand during a match between Chelsea and QPR.

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But it was a case of too little too late as Terry was found not guilty in July 2012, five-months after Capello had cleared his desk.

"To work at Wembley and to be the coach of England was wonderful, and it was disappointing to leave the national team because of differences of opinion over John Terry," the Italian told the Daily Mail.

"We had qualified for Euro 2012 but I couldn't accept that the captaincy was decided by the board, given it was in my contract that I would decide the captain, as the coach. I couldn't accept that my level of leadership was reduced. I was happy with everything I did and what I was allowed to do working for the FA. It was a fantastic time."

Capello won 28 of his 42 games in charge of the Three Lions but crucially, defeats were ill-timed and struggled to leave a lasting impression on English football.

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"England were my favourites to win the World Cup last year, given the level of players they have, but I was disappointed by their performances," he added.

"Gareth Southgate has some top talent at the moment. As an Italian, I hope the new coach Luciano Spalletti can get them in the right frame of mind. I respect him a lot. It should be an honour to wear the Italy shirt."