The Premier League era has seen some incredible leaders both on and off the pitch in the many teams that have competed for the titles. This list is about the top five captains who have been great leaders for their team mates in the Premier League era (from 1992 till now). In order to make this list, the player had to have been named as the official captain of the club by the manager.
After leading his side to the first domestic treble in the history of English football, Vincent Kompany of Manchester City has revealed his decision to move on from the Premier League and it is natural that we start by paying tribute to the Belgian Legend who is number 5 on this list. Here is the list in full.
Vincent Kompany, Manchester City
Kompany helped City to win the first trophy of their new era – the FA Cup – in 2010/11 and it was prior to the following season that he was first named club captain. The Belgian was integral to City’s success, playing in 31 of their 38 Premier League games and after heading the winner in the Manchester derby with two games remaining, he led them to their first Premier League trophy in 2012.
Success has followed pretty consistently for Kompany; the only knock on him that could be made is his injury record. Despite leading City to another Premier League trophy in 2013/14 and three League Cup triumphs, his playing time has been greatly hampered since that first title-winning season. But it’s in his absence that it becomes apparent quite how good of a captain he is.
City simply never look quite as solid without Kompany in the side as they do when he’s there, his leadership and organisational qualities made him a key figure in the side when Guardiola took over and he helped lead the Cityzens to two more Premier League titles. Kompany won 10 major honours, including four Premier League titles, two FA Cups and four League Cups during his time at the Etihad Stadium.
He was named the Premier League’s Player of the Season in the sensational Premier League winning season of 2011-12 and was named in the PFA Team of the Year on three occasions.
Tony Adams, Arsenal
Adams became captain of Arsenal long before the dawn of the Premier League era – he was named captain by George Graham in January 1988, when he was still just 21 years old, and he remained in the role for the next 14 years until his retirement. He spent his entire 22-year career playing at centre-back for the Gunners until he retired at the end of the 2001/02 season. He was jailed for drink driving in 1990 and spent 57 days inside.
Adams had been used to an old-school approach and had faced a battle with alcoholism which sent him to jail, but when Wenger took over in 1996 and began to change things – introducing a new dietary and lifestyle regime – Adams made the needed changes and remained captain. He led the Gunners to their first Premier League title a season later scoring a crucial goal against Everton to secure the title.
By the time his career ended, Adams had made 674 appearances for Arsenal and had become the club’s most successful captain. During that time he won four league titles (two Premier Leagues), three FA Cups and the European Cup Winners Cup in 1994. In 2011, to commemorate the club’s 125th anniversary, a statue of Adams was erected outside the Emirates Stadium – a fitting tribute to one of the greatest captains of the Premier League era.
John Terry, Chelsea
John Terry was appointed as captain by new manager Jose Mourinho in the 2004/05 season. Terry led the Blues to a title win with the best defensive record in Premier League history, keeping the most clean sheets and getting the highest points total at the time. He’s the only man to lead his side to five Premier League title triumphs, and he also led Chelsea to four FA Cups, three League Cups, the Champions League and the Europa League.
His performance in the 2004/05 season saw him voted as the Player of the Year by his fellow professionals; one of the highest honours possible, and rare for a central defender – only the second defender to win the award in Premier League history. Despite several scandals on and off the pitch including racial abuse and infidelity, Terry is still adored by the Chelsea fans.
A large banner can be seen hanging from the rafters at Stamford Bridge that reads ‘John Terry – Captain, Leader, Legend’.
Steven Gerrard, Liverpool
England legend, Steven Gerrard never won the Premier League as the captain of Liverpool and compared to some others, his trophy haul seems relatively modest – just three major honours during his time as the leader. However belongs high on this list not because of his abilities to force higher standards out of his teammates, but because somehow, he had the ability to single-handedly drag his side to victory against all odds.
There was also the FA Cup Final in 2006 – Liverpool trailed West Ham twice, once at 2-1 and once at 3-2 before equalisers from Gerrard – the last one a 35-yard volley during injury time – took them to another victorious penalty shoot-out. In 2014, he let the threshold of glory pass him by as his costly slip at Anfield against Chelsea all but took the League title away from Liverpool’s hands.
Gerrard might have only won three major trophies as captain, but without him on the pitch, two of those wins probably would have been impossible. Which makes him a truly great captain – nobody else led by example quite so well.
Roy Keane, Manchester United
Manchester United are the most successful club in the history of the Premier League and in their most dominant era – from the early 90’s until the mid-2000’s – they were driven and led by one of the most inspirational captains in the history of the game, combative Irish midfielder Roy Keane.
He took over the captaincy of the team at the beginning of the 1997/98 season when French Eric Cantona unexpectedly retired but missed most of that campaign with a knee injury.
United lost the Premier League title to Arsenal, and as 1998/99 dawned, Keane was determined to make sure that the Red Devils took the championship back. The Irishman ended up leading United to a treble of the league title, the FA Cup and the Champions League, and it was in the latter that perhaps his greatest display as captain took place. He inspired a comeback in the Champions League semi-final against Juventus.
Keane was particularly vocal with his criticism towards his team mates and fans when they did not perform well and this led to his eventual departure from the club after Ferguson had had enough. However, during his time as United captain, he won seven major trophies including four Premier League titles. More than a decade on, he remains the Red Devils’ greatest Premier League captain.
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