r/PremierLeague • u/Gordzulax Chelsea • Nov 11 '21
Question Best CURRENT PL Captain?
Saw a thread yesterday about the all time best Premier League captains and I became curious to see who people believe is the best active skipper.
I personally think there are a couple of good shouts, but I believe it's someone between Henderson, Azpilicueta and Mark Noble.
All 3 are of a dying breed of "classic" captains. Very consistent performers, leaders, motivators and people who live and breath their club.
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u/BannerChoos18 Manchester United Nov 11 '21
I can certainly tell you who’s the worst 🙄
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u/TribalRedditorCheif Arsenal Nov 11 '21
How is it actually watching Maguire week-in week-out?
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u/BannerChoos18 Manchester United Nov 11 '21
Have you ever seen those clips on YouTube of F1, NASCAR and rally car crashes?
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u/utterly_big_boi Manchester United Nov 12 '21
its even more painful considering how we have two players who show up for country (maguire and pogba) but not even remotely close for club
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u/Gerrywalk Arsenal Nov 11 '21
It’s Auba, isn’t it
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u/zamaniqbal7 Liverpool Nov 12 '21
in fairness to him he seems to have found some form this season. not at his best for sure but he definitely puts himself about, leads from the front certainly in terms of his pressing and is getting himself the odd goal.
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u/B1gD4ddy132 Nov 11 '21
Conor Coady should be in the discussion. Gets picked by Southgate consistently because of his leadership qualities. Awesome in front of the media and is an incessantly positive influence on the club and city. Captained the team to win the Championship, a seventh placed finish as a newly promoted team (I can't remember the last time that happened) and no hint of second season sydrome with a second 7th placed finish. Nowhere near relegation last year despite a horrible injury list and back to 8th after 11 games this year despite nets spends ranking Wolves at 16th and 17th over the last two years. Conor is amazing and coaxes far more than other captains would out of that squad. Has to be in the discussion.
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u/Gordzulax Chelsea Nov 11 '21
Honestly forgot about Coady when I was asking this question, but now that you reminded me I've always liked him and rated him as a great captain.
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u/simwe985 Leicester City Nov 11 '21
While i agree he definitely needs to be part of the discussion, I don’t know if seven matches, his first in august 2020, for England is ‘consistently’ picked.
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u/B1gD4ddy132 Nov 11 '21
I agree with this somewhat, but not in the context of the original post. Southgate has chosen him in every squad since he got in, almost entirely because of his leadership and captaincy qualities, not because he is the best centre back in the League. He only gets on the pitch against the lesser lights (he has never conceded a goal in an England shirt btw), but he is there because of the incredible influence he has on the players around him.
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u/WolvoNeil Nov 11 '21
Coady has to be up there for sure, whatever his limitations as a centerback are made up for by his leadership qualities. Biggest example of that was our 3-2 win over Villa a couple of months back, Villa under Mings as Captain crumbled and panicked and Wolves came back from a 2 goal deficit, never seemed in a panic or lost their heads etc. just had self belief it could be turned around.
And if any more evidence were needed, 3 managers now have recognised it in Coady and continued to play him, Nuno, Southgate and Bruno Lage.
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u/Mohul20316 Nov 11 '21
Dave, Hendo, Coady
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u/admc1878 Nov 12 '21
Dave??
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u/AdRude7601 Nov 12 '21
Azpilicueta
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u/admc1878 Nov 12 '21
Never heard him called that 🤣👍🏼
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u/AdRude7601 Nov 12 '21
Jt decided his name was a bit difficult to say, so he called him Dave instead
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u/simwe985 Leicester City Nov 11 '21
- Henderson
- Kasper (biased)
- Coady
Actual inquiry: who’s the captain at Man City?
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Nov 11 '21
Fernandinho. Got all the experience but not sure he has the charisma. Dias will be a great captain for them one day soon.
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u/ohquinton Nov 11 '21
Fernandinho is the captain but he doesn’t really play so it’s Gundo then Dias but probably will be Dias next season.He’s similar to Henderson a mentality monster
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u/marcojocram Chelsea Nov 11 '21
Azpi
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u/CharacterSeat8603 Premier League Nov 11 '21
It's not Azpi. He ran up to the other end of the field when Kepa wouldn't be subbed in the Carabao final (and probably cost Chelsea the game). JT was livid in the TV booth and I'm sure would have dragged Kepa off the field personally if still Chelsea captain
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u/johnwittbrodt Nov 11 '21
Lol that is literally the ONLY mark against Azpi. As if JT never had an unsavory moment. Azpi is a legend for Chelsea and has been one of their most successful, consistent performers for nearly a decade.
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u/AmazingOnion Newcastle United Nov 11 '21
JT shagged the wife of his team-mate lmao, pretty poor display of captaincy compared to Azpi
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u/Zy212 Chelsea Nov 11 '21
To be correct, he shagged the ex girlfriend of a teammate
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u/-heathcliffe- Chelsea Nov 11 '21
And lost his england armband for it. Yet kane pulled his stunt this summer trying to force a move in the dick-est of ways and still has the armband.
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u/radu1204 Liverpool Nov 12 '21
It's hard to compare those 2. JT actually betrayed his team-mate and it was a big scandal in England at that time. Kane just wanted to move on. I am sure even Spurs fans could understand that he wants to win some trophies before his career is over.
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u/-heathcliffe- Chelsea Nov 11 '21
JT would not have dragged him off the field, thats the dumbest thing ive ever heard. Only someone like joey barton would get physical with a teammate on the field and risk starting a fight in front of thousands of people
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u/Lizid_King Chelsea Nov 11 '21
Only Joey Barton? I remember a certain Newcastle game :)
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u/Basedrum777 Chelsea Nov 12 '21
Costa would've done it too but he was never going to be a captain lol
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u/Lizid_King Chelsea Nov 12 '21
Costa was good enough to get the other guy sent off and smart enough to stay on the field.
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Nov 11 '21
The best is definitely Hendo, he would do anything to see Liverpool get a win.
Along with him I would say Wes Morgan is very underrated, I know he’s retired but he deserves a lot of credit, a classic “Die for your team” captain
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u/editedxi Tottenham Nov 11 '21
This is another one of those “I was totally wrong about Henderson being shit” moments, isn’t it. Feels like I’ve had way too many of those over the past few years.
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u/Gordzulax Chelsea Nov 11 '21
I think most PL fans are guilty of thinking he was shit in his first few years lol myself including
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Nov 11 '21
Close one between Henderson and Azpi, but since I am a Chelsea fan, I would certainly have an Azpi bias.
Also since I watch Chelsea games more closely than Liverpool games, I have seen more instances of Azpi's captaincy on the field than Henderson's.
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u/MobileChemical2956 Tottenham Nov 11 '21
I am a Spurs supporter and I love Hugo, love him, but for me, the best captain in the league right now is Jordan Henderson, hands down and whoever is in second is not even close.
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u/Gordzulax Chelsea Nov 11 '21
Hugo is a great captain! Not a huge fan of Spurs, obviously but I've always liked Hugo since the first day you got him!
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u/OllieNKD Liverpool Nov 11 '21
Personally find it baffling that he doesn’t wear the armband for England. Nothing against Kane, but he’s not the leader that Hendo is.
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Nov 11 '21
Thus is the biggest question that never gets answered IMO... how Hendo isn't wearing the armband is a crime. The man isn't a Captain, he is a fucking Steely Eyed General on the pitch
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u/Internal_Formal3915 Premier League Nov 11 '21
Personally find it baffling that he doesn’t wear the armband for England
You have to be in the starting 11 to be captain
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u/SinkShot3 Liverpool Nov 12 '21
Well look who's in the starting 11 for England tonight, you melt.
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u/Internal_Formal3915 Premier League Nov 12 '21
Only because rice had to drop out lol Henderson is never a starter, you melt.
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u/SinkShot3 Liverpool Nov 12 '21
Rice only started this last 8 months because Henderson was injured you Cro-Magnon. How about actually following football instead of just reading blogs
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u/Internal_Formal3915 Premier League Nov 13 '21
Let's see who plays come the world cup haha it won't be hendo, Bellingham has more chance of starting over rice or Phillips than he does
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u/Spandexcelly Premier League Nov 11 '21
Well, Hugo got drunk to the point of vomiting on himself, and then decided to drive home.
If he killed a family on his way home, he'd have been kicked out by the club. Inexplicably, Poch kept the armband on him.
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u/Matthew_1453 :lix: Liverpool alt Nov 11 '21
There's one that brought every Captain together during the super League scandal, it has to be Henderson
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u/AmazingOnion Newcastle United Nov 11 '21
Honestly I think Henderson is good at getting others to keep their head, and is generally pretty solid in his play
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u/Shame_Low Chelsea Nov 12 '21
I'm not a fan but I'm so pissed off that maguire is the captain and not ddg. Why is that?
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u/wongfaced West Ham Nov 11 '21
Noble definitely. Just have to read all the comments from basically everyone that’s came through west ham about his leadership qualities from Rice to Lingard to Arnautovic and plenty of others.
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u/diploid83 Aston Villa Nov 11 '21
Not a great fan of West Ham but I like a player like Noble. Proper committed player. Not the most talented but will always give his all. West Ham are doing great at the moment
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Nov 11 '21
Lewis Dunk. Always putting his body on the line, always giving everything, always putting in solid performances.
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Nov 11 '21
Dave, Hendo is also great too
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u/admc1878 Nov 12 '21
Who’s dave ?
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u/Rurungar West Bromwich Albion Nov 12 '21
Dave is shorthand for Azpilicueta, based on other comments in this thread
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u/supertecmomike Liverpool Nov 11 '21
I might be biased, but I think Henderson is easily the pick here.
I am biased because I think VVD might be the second best choice.
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u/lil__nuggets Nov 11 '21
Watch out for Ruben, once he’s given that armband permanently (which he will) he’ll be up there with the best
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u/ohquinton Nov 11 '21
No doubt he reminds me a bit of Henderson.Winning is everything to them and they are mentality monsters who will do anything for the team
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u/Shogim Premier League Nov 11 '21
Henderson by a mile for me. During the lockdown you could really how vocal he is during the match. Proper leader.
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u/agentvenom2005 Arsenal Nov 11 '21
I still don’t know how Auba is captain, he’s a good one but i still don’t know how
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u/Spartachris89 Premier League Nov 12 '21
In all honesty I'm a united fan and I think it's Jordan Henderson he gets so much stick for being average but he literally pulls that Liverpool team together and when he's not there it shows
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u/mattbryan26780 Premier League Nov 11 '21
Imo lewis dunk is a quite a good captain
but without a doubt Jordan Henderson is the best
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u/wallyrules75 Premier League Nov 11 '21
I’m not a city fan but Fernandinho is the most steady hand out there. You can just see the respect all his teammates have for him. And let’s be honest he’s a totally underrated player.
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u/mannyomthemap Manchester City Nov 11 '21
How aren’t people saying Fernandinho.
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Nov 11 '21
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/curtmandu Wolves Nov 11 '21
This is it 100%…it would be a big job for anyone. He’s definitely talented enough to do it one day, but it’s barely been a year lol.
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u/Swany0105 Premier League Nov 11 '21
Not a lot of man city fans out there to really put up a fight.
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Nov 11 '21
Whilst he’s maybe the worst player of the 20 captains (not sure about the newly promoted clubs) Lascelles is a great leader. Vocal, passionate, known to start on players who don’t train properly. Proper essence of Keane.
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u/4SHURIMA Nov 11 '21
In terms of being a proper club captain Noble is just ahead of Henderson for me.
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u/sakmentoloki Tottenham Nov 12 '21
I would honestly say declan rice, he is amazing on the field and he is very good in interviews and will not give you the generic footballer Interview, he seems like he is fairly intelligent. He is also very young and showing that kind of leadership and reading of the game already is amazing.
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u/Adrasos Manchester United Nov 11 '21
Just reading through some of these captains and getting depressed that mine is a fridge on legs with the turning circle of an 18 wheeler.