Former Germany captain Lothar Matthaus believes Bayern Munich's Philipp Lahm will prove a strong skipper at the World Cup.

On Friday coach Joachim Low confirmed Lahm as the man to lead Germany out in South Africa, replacing the injured Michael Ballack, and Matthaus is confident the 26-year-old full-back will do well.

"He is respected in the squad and has deputised for Ballack in the recent internationals when he was injured," Matthaus said. "Lahm has always performed well and has a great deal of experience. He has already taken part in several big tournaments and represents the whole team's opinion."