Legendary British & Irish Lions coach Sir Ian McGeechan has urged Warren Gatland to take his time in selecting who should captain the side in next year's tour to Australia.

McGeechan, who coached the Lions in 1989, 1993, 1997 and 2009, as well as taking charge of the midweek side in 2005, is expected to be replaced by Gatland for next year's tour once the details of his temporary release from the Wales job have been finalised.

This has led Wales captain Sam Warburton to be installed as an early favourite for the armband, but McGeechan warned that a lot can change in a year and that Gatland should wait until as late as possible to make his final decision.

"Some players have come through last season, but the second season often challenges them in a different way. We need to see which of them are really able to kick on. There are a lot of unknowns when it comes to selecting the squad, and it's the same with the captaincy," said McGeechan.

"There are people like Chris Robshaw of England coming through and it will be interesting to see how he shapes up with another 12 months under his belt. Sam Warburton is an obvious choice and he already has a relationship with Warren. You need to see how someone is playing, his demeanour and rapport with players and support staff. You have to be disciplined and make a late call on it.

"In 2009 we didn't make the call until late April, which gave me the time to speak to all the international coaches. It also gave me the chance to speak to Paul O'Connell and spend some time with him. He was superb as our captain in 2009. But Warren won't be afraid to talk to the contenders and make the call he needs to."

In addition to coaching the Lions on five occasions, McGeechan also toured twice with the side as a player in 1974 and 1977.