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News
‘He’s a leader’: Steven Gerrard names 29-year-old as Aston Villa’s vice captain, he’s yet to make debut
Steven Gerrard has named a surprise Aston Villa vice-captain ahead of the start of the Premier League season.
Ashley Young has been named club captain, and Emi Martinez and new signing Diego Carlos have been named as McGinn’s vice-captains.
“We have many leaders in the dressing room, and we have a wider leadership group.”
“And I have to pick two vice-captains in case John’s (McGinn) not on the pitch for any reason.”
“So, we’ve gone for Emi Martinez…and in the short time I’ve worked with Diego Carlos, everything he’s done smacks me in the face that he’s a potential leader moving forward”.
The decision means that England defender Tyrone Mings is no longer involved in the captaincy set-up at Villa, which former Villa striker Gabby Agbonlahor believes would have upset the centre-back.
Gerrard names new Villa vice-captain
Diego Carlos is one of a number of new signings at Aston Villa this summer,
Carlos has limited captaincy experience, .
“It doesn’t guarantee that any of them are guaranteed a shirt”.
“Just because you’ve got this title, it’s still important that your performances are strong and that you’re consistent”.
Although Gerrard says no player is guaranteed to start, Carlos and new captain McGinn are likely to get the nod against Bournemouth next weekend, with another signing Boubacar Kamara tipped to help Villa’s new captain flourish.
It could be a risk for Gerrard to appoint a player who is so new to Aston Villa as vice-captain.
However, the manager has had a pre-season tour to assess his options and make a decision, and has clearly seen that Carlos is the right fit to deputise for McGinn when called upon.
Carlos has had some great captains to look up to in his career, with Sevilla legend Jesus Navas’ dedication to the Spanish side an example Villa fans will hope Carlos looks up to during his time at Villa Park.