Premier League captains ranked from 'shouldn't have the armband' to 'true leader' | OneFootball

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A strong captain is imperative for any side in the Premier League, with a manager’s authority only extending so far. The player placed in charge of the squad needs to command respect from his teammates, while also keeping everyone in check around him both on and off the pitch.

During the summer transfer window, several teams have seen a change in leadership. Chelsea lost their long-time servant, Cesar Azpilicueta, while Liverpool said goodbye to Jordan Henderson. But with every Premier League captain now known, the team at GIVEMESPORT thought we would sort every captain into six separate categories using Tiermaker. The six levels of captain are: ‘Shouldn’t have the armband’, ‘Not convincing’, ‘Leader off the pitch but not on it', ‘Solid option', ‘Great captain’, and ’True leader’.

Now, this list is highly subjective, and there will certainly be those of you who disagree with our rankings. If you would make any changes at all, feel free to let us know in our social media comments. But without further ado, let’s get into our rankings.

Almost immediately, there is going to be outrage. But let us explain ourselves before everybody loses their minds. Bournemouth’s captain Neto only joined the club last summer and also missed a fair few games through injury last season. Yes, he has experience, but we think there are a few players in Bournemouth’s squad who are more deserving of the armband.

The same point can arguably made for Reece James and Chelsea. The right-back is Blue through and through and many fans will be delighted by the fact he is now captain of the senior team. But he is only 23 years old, and there are other senior players in that team, namely Thiago Silva, who are better options right now in our eyes. Pochettino is clearly looking to the future with his captaincy pick, and while James will likely become an excellent leader for the Stamford Bridge side, consider whether he is their best option right now.

This next category is made up of players who are a decent captaincy option at their club, but they just don’t stack up that well compared to the rest of the league. We're not entirely sure Wolves’ Kilman is the best man for the job, and he wouldn't look out of place in the bottom tier to be honest, but given how long he has been at the club, he is not the most outrageous choice.

Zouma is somebody who also fits in this category. He can be a capable leader when required but has essentially inherited the position after Declan Rice joined Arsenal. It remains to be seen if he continues in that role, or whether Moyes will turn to someone else like new signing and former Southampton captain, James Ward-Prowse.

The players who make up this next category all have one thing in common - they are all club captains who command the respect of their teammates, but they play a limited role on the pitch for their sides now. Burnley’s Cork is someone who defines the role of ‘leader off the pitch,' with the 34-year-old making just one appearance for Vincent Kompany’s side so far this season. However, his influence on what is a relatively young squad cannot be understated, so it would be unfair to question his status as a leader.

The same point can be made for Newcastle’s Lascelles. Although he is five years younger than the aforementioned Cork, the defender has struggled for minutes, with Sven Botman and Fabian Schar first-choice for Eddie Howe. However, his manager still recognises Lascelles’ status in the dressing room, calling him an "unbelievable" captain and an excellent leader off the pitch back in July.

Cairney is more difficult to place, having started in two out of Fulham’s first four matches this season. However, while some would put him in the tier above, we’ve opted not to as when every midfielder is available for Fulham, Cairney would not be first-choice. His biggest asset to Marco Silva’s squad is therefore his leadership off the pitch.

Solid option

Martin Odegaard (Arsenal), John McGinn (Aston Villa), Christian Norgaard (Brentford), Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City), Son Heung-min (Tottenham)

Next up, we have captains who are all good leaders, but they just don't scream natural captain like some of the other players in the top two tiers do. Arsenal’s Odegaard and Man City’s De Bruyne both fit a very similar mould here. Both playmakers help to drive their teammates forward in a commanding manner while playing exceptionally themselves. But when you think of the typical Premier League leader, do either of those men spring to mind? Not for us. Son is very similar to the pair of them in that respect too. He has always led from the front as one of the club’s more experienced players, but we don't think he breaks into the 'great captain' tier just yet. He's also not helped by the fact he's not had the position for too long either.

The other two players in this tier are closer to that next tier than the rest though. While Norgaard has only just been made Brentford’s permanent captain following the departure of Pontus Jansson, he has been acting as a leader for the Bees for many years now. Winner of the Brentford Players’ Player of the Year and Supporters Player of the Year award for the 2021/22 season, he regularly led the team out last year as vice-captain. And Aston Villa’s McGinn is a similar case. He has been a key player for Villa over the years and has stepped up more as a leader since his appointment as club captain in July 2022. We're not sure either of them belong in the next tier with the other players, though, but they are knocking on the door.

Just short of the top tier are four players who have all been great leaders and club servants over the years. They have behaved like captains with or without the title, giving them an edge over those in the category below, but they just don't have that same aura or experience the players in the 'true leader' category have.

Ward was recently named Palace’s new club captain for the season, having made 335 appearances for the Eagles before then. During that time, though, he had led the side out on 24 occasions and had acted as a leader without the armband too. Now 33, however, he is at risk of falling into the ‘leader off the pitch’ category if Palace look to replace him. Egan is also relatively new to a permanent captaincy role, taking over at Sheffield United following Billy Sharp’s departure. But he has regularly turned out for the Blades since joining in 2018. His upgraded status for this season is nothing short of what he deserves, after five solid years of service where he was one of the leaders of the pack.

Lockyer, meanwhile, only became captain at Luton last season, but stepped up to lead the Hatters to the Premier League. Still only 28, his leadership will be vital if Luton are to avoid relegation. The final man to complete this tier is United’s Fernandes, who was only recently appointed club captain. However, he has regularly acted as a leader on the pitch in the absence of Harry Maguire last season. There will almost certainly be those of you who believe that he deserves to be in the tier above or the tier below, but we think this is where he should be right now.

True Leader

But now, we enter the elite tier of Premier League captains, players who stand apart from the rest in our eyes. Starting with Van Dijk, although he only recently acquired the Liverpool armband following Henderson’s departure, he has regularly stepped up as a leader since arriving at Anfield, while also captaining the Netherlands since March 2018 and Southampton before then. Worrall, meanwhile, became Forest’s captain following an injury to Lewis Grabban and has stayed in charge ever since really. Steve Cooper recently paid tribute to the defender, saying that he put his club before himself after playing in their 1-0 victory against Chelsea following the death of his uncle. A true leader in every sense.

The final two men on this list, though, have been in charge of their current club’s squads for some time and have honed their leadership skills over the years. Starting with Dunk, the 31-year-old has a cult-hero status at Brighton, with the academy graduate captaining the side on several occasions before officially acquiring the title ahead of the 2019/20 season. Many faces have joined and left the club, but Dunk has been the consistent leader at the back, helping guide Brighton to European football last season. Coleman, similarly, has been the man in charge at Everton for many years now, having been made club captain in 2019 in place of Phil Jagielka. He had acted as a leader for the Toffees before then, though, having provided numerous years of service. Both men will likely be viewed as legends by their respective fans by the time their playing days come to an end.