Who Should Be Liverpool’s Next Captain?

A generation of football fans have grown up watching only one man captain Liverpool Football Club – Steven Gerrard. For the last decade, it’s almost seemed his continued leadership of the club was as certain as death and taxes.

But not anymore.

The announcement of Gerrard’s departure to LA Galaxy was a shock, but not surprising, especially when considering the sluggishness of Liverpool’s efforts in offering Gerrard a new contract.

Allied to the realization that, despite retiring from international duty to focus on Liverpool, his playing time would be limited and selective from next season, you can understand his desire for a new challenge.

Yet the Liverpool fan in him, and his loyalty to the club, firmly remains in his decision to move to America to ensure that he would not be facing his former club in a competitive capacity. He craves more success and silverware before he has to hang up his boots and LA Galaxy are certainly in a better position to offer him that compared to at Anfield, regardless of the quality of the ‘soccer’ across the pond.

The unforgettable goals, nights and even the less memorable but still hugely significant moments, ranging from the last minute strike in the 2006 FA Cup final against West Ham to the last minute winner against Derby County on Boxing Day in 2007 – Gerrard has been a colossus for Liverpool. And after everything he has done, he deserves the chance to try something new in the final years of his career.

I have no doubt that he’ll be back, whatever capacity – perhaps even a winter loan next season? Personally I would be against this as Liverpool need to move on and replace the soon to be departed skipper so ideally there will be no place in the side or any playing time for Gerrard.

Furthermore, it’s best if there are no challenges to the authority of the next captain, in a similar manner to when the Reds had to ask Bill Shankly to stop visiting the training ground after he had been succeeded as manager by Bob Paisley.

This leads onto the topic at hand – who should replace Gerrard as captain of Liverpool?

Jordan Henderson is the favourite, an apparent shoe-in given manager Brendan Rodgers’ favouritism for the player. Made vice-captain in the summer, Henderson is perhaps being groomed by Rodgers as a long-term captain for Liverpool, much like Gerard Houllier did with Gerrard himself.

He will be 25 in June and does try to lead by example, using his endless energy to press all over the pitch and close the opposition down, encouraging team-mates to do the same. However, whilst physically he is boundless, technically he has to improve to become a long term skipper for the Reds.

His passing range has improved considerably in the last 18 months, now he needs to show it on a regular basis. Moreover, he has to chip in with a few goals, even if he is in a defensive position (which whilst he can adopt that area of midfield he is better further forward). With only 16 goals since arriving in the summer of 2011, it is a concern and Henderson should be aiming at between 8-10 goals a season and, ideally, in assists too.

He has gone up countless levels since that first season at Anfield, when he was so close to leaving for Fulham. If he becomes captain, he needs another step up across the board to go from a good midfielder to a top one and prove that he deserves the armband.

Martin Skrtel is the only other player who has been considered, with the Slovakian a former vice-captain for Liverpool and captains his country. However, he was replaced as vice-captain by Henderson, suggesting that he is below the Englishmen in the Rodgers pecking order.

Conversely, Skrtel seems the more suitable choice as captain for next season. Henderson is a decent choice, but as mentioned one perhaps for the long-term. Yet if he doesn’t improve further then he may not have a guaranteed starting place at the club, especially if Liverpool can become a consistent Champions League club again and challenge for trophies. For that, world-class midfielders will be required and if Henderson cannot reach that level then he won’t be playing regularly.

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