Pep Guardiola offers update on Manchester City captain and penalty taker choices

Over the years, Manchester City have never had a shortage of natural leaders in their squad.

Vincent Kompany’s name instantly springs to mind as not just an incredible captain at the club, but perhaps one of the Premier League’s greatest ever head honchos.

The Belgian’s successor, David Silva, led by example during the 2019/20 season and inspired those around him by remaining an ageless wonder on the pitch.

While Fernandinho has always been one of the most vocal presences in the Manchester City side since his arrival in the summer of 2013, captaining the club to successive Premier League triumphs in 2021 and 2022 was testament to his leadership.

After his departure this summer, some would make the misplaced assumption that Pep Guardiola’s side now have a dearth of natural leaders in the side.

Ilkay Gundogan in action for Manchester City (News Images / Alamy)

Ilkay Gundogan was Manchester City’s captain for a majority of the games last term, and is known for willing his teammates on right before matchdays.

Known to go out of his way to work closely alongside youngster James McAtee as well, the experienced midfielder commands respect.

It goes without saying that the German international knows a thing or two about leading from the front, coming off the bench to singlehandedly win his side the league title against Aston Villa on the final day of last season.

The same can be said for Kevin De Bruyne, who has set the bar in England by arguably remaining the best player in the country for over half a decade.

In the case of Ruben Dias, he has been barking orders at his teammates from day one and was voted as the team’s second captain as early as in his second season.

While other names can also be brought into the conversation, Pep Guardiola was quizzed about which player will take on the armband next term, following Fernandinho’s exit.

“We still didn’t do it (the captain’s vote)”, he confirmed ahead of City’s Premier League opener against West Ham on Sunday.

The question around who the club’s go-to penalty taker will be going forward was also posed to the 51-year old, considering Erling Haaland’s arrival this summer.

“Last season, we improve," Pep Guardiola opened.

"The quality of our penalties, in the past, we missed a lot."

He continued, "Last season, Riyad (Mahrez) was exceptional, he missed the last one but in general, he was good.

"They will decide. As much the taker when you walk up, one decision, the rest is important."

Ultimately, no decision regarding either the captaincy or the penalty taker will be a poor one, considering the calibre of each and every player at Manchester City.