Liverpool expert Tony Barrett has expressed his belief that the Reds will name a new captain and vice-captain on Friday. Barrett, who writes for The Times, expects Jordan Henderson to replace Steven Gerrard as skipper with one of four candidates likely to become his understudy.
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We weigh up those four candidates in the list below and consider who would be best suited to wearing the armband in the absence of our midfield star…
Lucas Leiva
The Brazilian is certainly one of the more experienced members of the squad and should command the respect of the dressing room. He’s clearly a likeable character and his appointment is unlikely to cause many problems in this respect. The issue is whether he’d play enough games to be able to command the role. There’s a lot of competition for him in midfield and injuries have also taken their toll over the last couple of years. He’s still an important presence in the dressing room but perhaps he’ll have to make do without an official title.
James Milner
Giving a new signing such an important role is always a risk. You might alienate other members of the squad who feel they have worked hard over many years to earn such a position, or the new signing might not take to his new teammates and his new surroundings. That being said, it’s hard to see that being an issue with Milner. The England international has been a reliable and consistent performer throughout his career and has rarely – if ever – been in the headlines for negative incidents off the pitch. He’s well-respected and it could actually work.
Mamadou Sakho
The French defender has experience of captaining a team and should naturally be one of the most prominent leaders in the Liverpool team. He was Paris Saint Germain’s youngest ever skipper in his youth and perhaps a similar role at Anfield could inspire him to rediscover his best form. However, it’s hard to see Rodgers taking a chance on a player that has featured so infrequently over the last couple of years. He’s had some real problems with injuries and if he can prove that he’s put those problems behind him then he could finally be considered.
Martin Skrtel
Skrtel has worn the armband for Liverpool before and spent last season as the third choice captain behind Gerrard and Henderson. But considering his ageing years and his recent contract wrangling, there’s every chance that Rodgers could decide that the role is more suited to a younger candidate. The Slovakian has been a loyal servant to the Reds and there are probably few more natural choices in our current squad, but don’t be surprised to see the armband taken away from him and moved on elsewhere as Rodgers focuses on the younger generation.
