12th June 2013 11:27
The squad for the event on June 22-23 was announced on Tuesday and they will be among the favourites. They include two of Britain's Olympic gold medallists from last summer, with Mo Farah running in the 5000m and Greg Rutherford in the long jump.
The event is rich in poignancy for Britain, whose men won the competition in its old form, the European Cup, for the first time in Gateshead in 1989. They then repeated that triumph at the same venue in 2000.
At the helm this time is Shakes-Drayton, 24, one of the country's top, young athletes and greatest characters.
Talented and effervescent, she won the 400m and then led the British team home in the 4 x 400m relay at the European Athletics Indoor Championships.
Normally a 400m hurdler, she will run the flat 400m - selected ahead of 2008 Olympic champion Christine Ohuruogu who runs in the relay - with Eilidh Child competing over the barriers.
Shakes-Drayton could not hide her delight.
She said: 'I am so pleased to be selected as team captain and proud for myself and my coach.
'As an athlete, you want to perform the best you possibly can on the track but it is always pleasing if you can be seen as a leader and a good example for your team-mates.
'When I went to the World Juniors in 2006 I was team captain there and I was incredibly proud. I hope I can use my experience to help guide some of the new team members as we try to win the title in front of our home crowd.'
Back in 1989, the noise was immense from the passionate supporters in such a successful area of track and field in Britain and it could be the same again as the home team face defending champions Russia, Germany, Ukraine, France, Poland, Spain, Italy, Belarus, Türkiye, Greece and Norway.
Farah, the double Olympic champion, successfully defended his 5000m European title in Helsinki last summer and should be a banker for maximum points in an event where team spirit is at its greatness.
His glory in London in the 10,000m came just after Rutherford had won the long jump.
The team also includes high jumper Robbie Grabarz, who shared bronze in London, Dai Greene, the 400m hurdles world champion, and pole-vaulter Holly Bleasdale, who brilliantly won gold in a jump-off in Göteborg.
No event like the European Team Championships captures the atmosphere that can be generated from fellow athletes watching their teammates winning key points in their bid for the overall prize.
It is the final competition for British Athletics Head Coach Peter Eriksson, who is returning to his native Canada, and he said: 'In selecting the team we prioritised athletes who would give us best possible chance to win this prestigious competition.
'I am delighted that our athletes have made this event a key part of their summer campaign and look forward to seeing how close we can get to repeating the victories of 1989 and 2000.
'It is a pleasure to name Perri Shakes Drayton as team captain. She was excellent at the European Indoors, winning two gold medals against top class competition, and I know that she can lead by example both on and off the track this weekend.
'I will be happy if we are in the top two and if we can even win it then great. Third place would be okay but the higher the better.'
Great Britain & NI team:
MEN -
100m: James Dasaolu. 200m: Danny Talbot. 400m: Nigel Levine. 800m: Andrew Osagie. 1500m: Charlie Grice. 3000m: David Bishop. 5000m: Mo Farah. 110mh: William Sharman. 400mh: Dai Greene. 3000m s/c: Rob Mullet. High Jump: Robbie Grabarz. Long Jump: Greg Rutherford. Triple Jump: Nathan Douglas. Pole Vault: Steve Lewis. Shot Put: Zane Duquemin. Discus: Brett Morse. Hammer: Mark Dry. Javelin: Lee Doran. 4x100m relay: Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, Dwain Chambers, Dasaolu, James Ellington, Joel Fearon, Adam Gemili, Richard Kilty, Danny Talbot; 4x400m: Michael Bingham, Richard Buck, Nigel Levine, Martyn Rooney, Richard Strachan, Conrad Williams.
WOMEN -
100m: Asha Philip. 200m: Anyika Onuora. 400m: Perri Shakes-Drayton. 800m: Jessica Judd. 1500m: Hannah England. 3000m: Laura Weightman. 5000m: Emelia Gorecka. 100mh: Tiffany Porter. 400mh: Eilidh Child. 3000m s/c: Eilish McColgan. High Jump: Isobel Pooley. Long Jump: Shara Proctor. Triple Jump: Yamile Aldama. Pole Vault: Holly Bleasdale. Shot Put: Sophie McKinna. Discus: Jade Lally. Hammer: Sophie Hitchon. Javelin: Freya Jones. 4x100m: Annabelle Lewis, Onuora, Philip, Porter, Bianca Williams (Cowan); 4x400m: Meghan Beesley, Child, Shana Cox, Kirsten McAslan, Christine Ohuruogu, Victoria Ohuruogu.