It’s the start of a brand-new season for Leicester City, and Brendan Rodgers is due to address the media today (Friday), ahead of the Foxes’ opening fixture against Brentford.
Topics set to be discussed include the extent of Ricardo Pereira’s injury, and an update on Wesley Fofana’s situation. With the Northern Irishman also expected to announce the club captain for the 2022/23 campaign in place of the departing Kasper Schmeichel.
While many City players might display the requisite qualities to take the armband this year, there are limited realistic contenders to do so. Here at Foxes of Leicester, we’ve whittled the shortlist down to three, listed below.
Will Jonny Evans become Leicester City skipper?
There are few Premier League defenders still playing with the experience and authority that Jonny Evans exudes every time he steps onto the pitch. Now 34, the Northern Ireland international is the picture of calm, whether that be on the ball or when being sized up by an opponent, and his positional assuredness means his teammates know they’re in safe hands.
Leadership shows itself in different ways, and while Evans isn’t exactly a man you’d expect to be barking orders or kicking boots around in the dressing room, he leads by example in his performances. It’s no wonder Manchester United and Arsenal were sniffing around in the summer Leicester acquired him, and the doggedness and resilience he possesses makes him a more than ideal candidate.
A key aspect in appointing a captain is also that they’re expected to feature regularly. Alongside Wesley Fofana, Evans makes up comfortably the Foxes’ most impressive centre-half pairing and will continue to be a solid mentor for the young Frenchman to work alongside.
Jamie Vardy
It’s testament to the immense leadership shown by both Wes Morgan and Kasper Schmeichel that Jamie Vardy’s name has seldom been mentioned regarding the captaincy during his time at the King Power Stadium. The striker is a natural leader, not in the typical warrior-like sense, but in that where he goes, others follow, and would certainly be a good fit to take on the responsibility of the skipper title this year.
He might be 35, but Vardy continues to defy the aging process, notching 15 goals in just 20 starts last season, and will no doubt feature heavily in the coming campaign. Kelechi Iheanacho has not featured too often in pre-season, while Patson Daka is still relatively inexperienced, and Vardy was in from the start for the final off-season outing against Sevilla.
A big part of being a captain is being able to inspire, and Vardy will no doubt be a role model to the younger contingent at Seagrave. He’s already achieved legendary status and will command an authority on the training field and the matchday pitch that is hard to quantify, but incredibly important. To complete the article, please now select the ‘James Maddison’ link directly underneath this paragraph.
James Maddison
This shout might be slightly left-field, but there’s a rationale behind it, as giving James Maddison the captain’s title could be a man-management masterstroke from Brendan Rodgers. With his future up in the air, and reports that his head has been turned, we know that the Foxes No. 10 is a personality who needs to be loved and reminded how much he is appreciated.
At 25, Maddison can no longer be defined as a young player, or an up-and-coming talent, instead he’s now a player who can change the game in a second, with an eye-of-the-needle pass, a piece of imaginative skill, or a stunning free-kick from 25 yards. It might not be the conventional rousing personality style of leadership but taking the game by the scruff of the neck as Maddison does is the perfect way to earn respect and authority amongst your teammates.
The chances of James Maddison leaving the club this summer are fading, and if he sticks around, he’ll surely secure a bumper new deal, there’s no better way to prove to Maddison his own worth to the club by giving him the armband. He’s an emotional player and such responsibility would mean a lot to him – you could guarantee his gratitude would be reflected in his performances.