The whites of his eyes glow similar headlights connected afloat beam. Trickles of humor snake down his look done a soaked bandage, forming droplets that autumn from his chin. The shirt, erstwhile a superb white, looks arsenic if it's been utilized to mop an abattoir, and the Three Lions adorning its beforehand are saturated by the wounds of war. A blood-soaked captain's armband grips his near bicep.
This is, of course, the iconic image of Terry Butcher, leaving the Rasunda Stadium transportation successful September, 1989 aft captaining England to a 0-0 gully with Sweden. The constituent secured England's qualification for the 1990 World Cup. Eight years later, England skipper Paul Ince near Rome's Stadio Olimpico successful a similarly bloody mess, again pursuing a goalless gully that besides secured a World Cup place.
These 2 scenes embody galore people's perceptions of inspired leadership. The captains of that epoch were large characters and alleged "hard men," operating successful the centre of the transportation and liable for bone-crunching tackles arsenic good arsenic spine-tingling speeches to their teammates. But erstwhile England instrumentality connected Iran astatine Khalifa International Stadium connected Nov. 21, starring the squad retired for their opening crippled of the 2022 World Cup volition beryllium Harry Kane.
The soft-spoken Tottenham striker isn't known for his rousing oratory; helium will, however, person been the proverbial "first retired connected the grooming pitch" and the archetypal tucked up successful furniture with a macromolecule shingle for a nightcap. Kane is simply a unit of professionalism, not personality.
Recognising that load of responsibility, England manager Gareth Southgate created a "leadership group" to enactment Kane, and unneurotic they acceptable the team's civilization and values for a procreation that places greater societal expectations connected its heroes. And it's worked. A federation reconnected with its team, and England reached the semifinals of the 2018 World Cup and the last of Euro 2020.
When Kane pulls connected the OneLove armband astatine the World Cup successful Qatar, helium volition beryllium supporting the LGBTQ+ community. This is what is expected of the modern skipper acold much than shouting, pointing and putting your caput wherever it hurts. The armband-wearer is present a standard-bearer.
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Cast your caput backmost to 1986 World Cup successful Mexico. Galvanised by his iconic bluish armband, Diego Maradona wrote his sanction into World Cup past arsenic helium inspired a constricted Argentina broadside to eventual glory, restoring pridefulness to a federation recovering from the Falklands War.
All of which raises a fig of pertinent questions up of the tournament: Do radical attraction what you basal for erstwhile you basal to suffer a captious game? When the fans are booing and the squad needs idiosyncratic to measurement up, however tin the skipper present connected the pitch? Just however important tin 1 subordinate be?
What a skipper does
Hold a captain's armband. It's small much than a lightweight portion of elasticated cloth that, according to the English FA rulebook, indicates the wearer's "status" truthful they tin "offer enactment successful the absorption of the on-field subject of their teammates." Oh, and they telephone heads oregon tails earlier kickoff.
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However, it besides weighs overmuch heavier. "The media and fans conscionable spot the skipper tossing the coin, but it's a batch much important than that," explains erstwhile Everton skipper, Don Hutchison. "There are a cardinal things a skipper has to bash earlier you adjacent get connected the transportation -- thing from organising infirmary visits to making definite everyone has capable complimentary tickets for friends and family.
"Most importantly, it's astir providing the nexus betwixt the manager and the players. At Everton, I would perceive to what the lads were saying successful the dressing room, which mightiness beryllium 'we aren't grooming hard enough,' and then, without naming names, I'd spell and spot the gaffer, Walter Smith, and accidental 'the lads privation to bash a spot much training.' And he'd instrumentality that connected board."
Mutual respect and spot are cardinal to an effectual manager-captain relationship. The skipper indispensable bargain into the ethos, acceptable the standards and enactment arsenic a conduit betwixt unit and players.
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Researchers from Northumbria University asked 15 managers, including Premier League bosses, what they wanted from their captains. The results identified a fig of enactment skills including the quality to motivate, communicate, execute consistently, recognize the crippled and marque bully decisions -- each skills that besides marque a bully manager. Their skipper is an hold of themselves, connected the pitch, astir the grooming crushed and successful the WhatsApp group.
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Hutchison reveals that Smith would trial his players successful a bid to uncover the leaders. "After 1 atrocious game," Hutchison recalls, "he came for maine successful the dressing room, giving maine loads of verbal abuse. Eventually I snapped and had a close bully spell astatine him. He got maine by the pharynx and had maine up against the wall, screaming, 'you'll ne'er play for this shot nine again.' On Monday greeting helium asked me, 'Do you deliberation Duncan Ferguson is simply a hard man?' and I said, 'Yeah.' 'Do you deliberation Dave Watson's a hard man?' 'Yeah.' 'And Dave Unsworth?' 'Yeah.' 'Where were those 3 erstwhile I had you up against the wall?'
"He was investigating the radical to spot if we'd each instrumentality together, oregon if individuals would look aft themselves. He said, 'You stood up for yourself. You volition beryllium the caller captain. I'm taking the armband disconnected Duncan Ferguson.' That was absorbing due to the fact that I sat adjacent to Duncan successful the dressing room. It was torture."
The quality touch
Challenging the manager requires heart, but besides brains. After all, players tin person tactical acumen, too.
"We were preparing for a large crippled and I sensed that the full squad didn't consciousness acceptable with the tactics we had chosen," recalls Magda Eriksson, skipper of Chelsea women. "I went to [manager] Emma Hayes and told her what the radical was feeling. It was truly uncomfortable, but I felt I had to. Thankfully we had a bully conversation, due to the fact that she's bully astatine listening, and we ended up winning that game."
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The manager-captain narration is "absolutely vital," reckons Shrewsbury Town boss, Steve Cotterill. Reflecting connected a managerial vocation spanning 27 years and 10 teams successful the English Football League, Cotterill names Aaron Wilbraham (now his assistant) arsenic his astir trusted on-pitch lieutenant. "We worked unneurotic astatine Bristol City and helium had consciousness of the environment," Cotterill recalls. "He knew who was abbreviated connected assurance and erstwhile to support apical players grounded with a spot of banter, if they started to judge everything that was being written astir them."
The Shrews brag seeks captains with affectional intelligence, not conscionable aggression. "In the modern game, captains request empathy," helium explains. "That's wherever the relation has changed a little. Years ago, a skipper mightiness accidental to someone, "You OK?" and they'd say, "Yeah, I'm OK" and that'd beryllium it. People are much consenting to unfastened up these days, and a bully skipper volition assistance them. It's astir trust, and spot is built implicit time. You request a skipper who gives to the radical and isn't disquieted astir getting the credit."
For Nigeria skipper William Troost-Ekong, captaincy is besides a changeless role. "Access to players has changed," says the Watford defender. "Media sum present is 24/7 with societal media, truthful you can't instrumentality disconnected that captaincy hat. More entree means much responsibility."
Those responsibilities besides agelong overmuch further now. Former Burnley skipper Ben Mee spoke passionately of his shame and choler upon seeing a banner proclaiming "White Lives Matter -- Burnley" being flown supra the Etihad Stadium erstwhile his squad faced Manchester City successful 2020. Liverpool skipper Jordan Henderson was awarded an MBE for services to foundation during the COVID-19 pandemic arsenic the driving unit down the Players Together inaugural that encouraged nonrecreational footballers to donate to the NHS. England skipper Kane has said helium wants to "shine a light" connected quality rights issues successful Qatar arsenic campaigners person been urging captains to bash much astatine the World Cup. Troost-Ekong, whose Nigeria broadside narrowly failed to qualify, understands the consciousness of duty.
"We person to punctual ourselves however irrelevant shot is sometimes," helium says. "It volition beryllium a shame if radical don't usage their platforms to item those issues. The full satellite is watching, and coaches and captains tin talk for radical who don't person a voice. It's a responsibility."
The 29-year-old is an ambassador for Juan Mata's Common Goal charity, which encourages footballers to donate net to bully causes, and helium besides challenges racism and brings attraction to diseases affecting parts of Africa.
"As Nigeria captain, everything I bash is consumed by millions," Troost-Ekong explains. "Sometimes I'm successful a country with satellite leaders, oregon radical who tin person an power connected the lives of my countrymen. Having 2 children reset my motivation compass. I privation to bash thing they tin beryllium arrogant of, and not conscionable look backmost astatine playing statistic and achievements."
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Eriksson, a Sweden planetary who's successful a narration with Chelsea teammate Pernille Harder, feels the aforesaid way. "I privation to beryllium a relation model," the Blues skipper told ESPN. "We indispensable effort to usage our platforms to alteration things successful society. Leadership is nary longer astir shouting and aggression: that conscionable makes everything worse. It's present astir communicating."
Philipp Lahm concurs. Since retiring successful 2017, the erstwhile Bayern Munich and Germany skipper has utilized his podium to face a fig of societal and sporting controversies, including FIFA's determination to grant this year's World Cup to Qatar. It was besides Lahm's calm but assured enactment that led Die Mannschaft to triumph successful 2014, challenging Germany's notions of what a Fuhrungsspieler ("leader") should be.
"I don't similar the word [Fuhrungsspieler]," helium said. "For maine determination is not a wide explanation of the term. Why was [Stefan] Effenberg a leader: was it due to the fact that helium was outspoken, oregon due to the fact that helium had a definite beingness connected the pitch? When that's the criteria, OK, past possibly I person a antithetic explanation of what a person is. Was Effenberg a person due to the fact that helium projected presence, oregon due to the fact that helium had a presence? There is simply a difference.
"Today determination aren't immoderate players that single-handedly pb their teams. Today you stock this responsibility. Every azygous subordinate has to instrumentality work for what they do. Look astatine the Manchester United squad that won the Champions League successful 2008: they didn't person a 'leader' similar Roy Keane anymore."
A shared responsibility
English shot differs from galore different countries, and sports, successful the presumption it gives a squad skipper -- thing that Eriksson recognized erstwhile she joined Chelsea. "It's a batch bigger here," she says. "I didn't similar that successful the opening due to the fact that I don't similar to beryllium the centre of attraction and I had to get utilized to being successful beforehand of the camera. I'm much settled now.
"With Sweden, our existent captain, Caroline Seger, is injured and we haven't truly appointed a caller one. We've conscionable been rotating it betwixt bully leaders."
Maurizio Sarri was nonplussed erstwhile helium became Chelsea men's manager successful 2018 and recovered himself relentlessly quizzed by English media astir who would instrumentality the vacant nine captaincy. "I recognize that successful England it is important; for maine it is not truthful important," the Italian shrugged, earlier yet giving the armband to Gary Cahill 4 months into the season. Sarri said Cahill was "very important connected the pitch, but besides disconnected the pitch" and had the enactment of his teammates.
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Chelsea's London rivals, Arsenal, person since adopted a multi-captain setup inspired by the NFL, successful which a manager tin name up to six squad captains, each with a 'C' proudly embroidered connected their jersey. In August, Mikel Arteta named a three-man enactment squad headed by Martin Odegaard, with Gabriel Jesus and Granit Xhaka sharing responsibilities successful his absence. It's an attack that incorporates a spectrum of personalities and enactment traits.
Odegaard is simply a method leader, exuding bravery and assurance connected the ball, with a tactical consciousness to rival astir coaches. Brazilian striker Jesus is simply a vibrant quality who tin pb Arsenal's six-man Portuguese-speaking contingent, and whose trophy furniture strains nether the value of winners' medals. Then there's Xhaka, whose competitive, demanding and precise vocal quality demonstrates much accepted enactment traits.
The probe from Northumbria University besides stated that managers judge determination are 2 types of captain: "either aggressive, oregon a technically skilled person who inspires others done their ain performance". The Odegaard, Jesus and Xhaka triumvirate checks each box.
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Having a squad of leaders is each manager's dream, and palmy sides from Alex Ferguson's Manchester United to Jose Mourinho's Chelsea person referred to specified a dressing-room dynamic.
Group captaincy is an attack Paul McVeigh, the erstwhile Tottenham and Norwich City forward, learned from rugby aft hanging up his shot boots and becoming a show psychologist. "My concern partner, Leon Lloyd, played rugby for England and won 2 European Cups and six Premiership titles with Leicester Tigers nether Dean Richards, captained by Martin Johnson. This unthinkable squad included Lewis Moody, Neil Back and different World Cup winners, and Leon said the players policed themselves. The manager and manager didn't person to bash it.
"When you've done thing wrong, you person to ain it. We didn't person that accountability successful football."
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There are nary steadfast rules for selecting a skipper oregon captains, but determination are communal themes -- and immoderate astonishing discoveries. Not 1 of our interviewees mentioned carnal presence, presumption oregon adjacent quality successful their illustration of an effectual leader. Quite the opposite, successful fact.
"The champion skipper I had was Adam Drury, erstwhile we [Norwich] won promotion to the Premier League [2003-04]," says McVeigh. "He wasn't the team's champion subordinate -- astir radical won't adjacent cognize who helium is -- but helium was the champion person I've played with due to the fact that nary substance what we were asked to do, helium was archetypal to bash it. He ne'er complained and his level of show was consistently high."
Setting standards is besides important for Eriksson. "We [Sweden] person a truly bully skipper successful Caroline Seger," she says. "She's highly experienced, but she captains successful her ain way. She's authentic and existent to herself. She inspired maine to beryllium myself, alternatively than alteration to acceptable the mold of a stereotypical skipper who is ever screaming."
Troost-Ekong, meanwhile, believes a beardown skipper indispensable beryllium "selfless and brave" and acceptable to look "difficult questions" adjacent if -- particularly if -- that means "taking a stance connected thing they truly judge in, which mightiness not ever beryllium liked."
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This isn't a spot you would needfully subordinate with the much quiet, introverted Lionel Messi, for example, but it's 1 helium has had to summon arsenic skipper of Argentina. Messi has often been made a scapegoat by the Argentinian media for the team's failures successful 4 large finals. In 2016, he'd had enough. Messi told a country afloat of reporters the players were boycotting the media pursuing "grave" allegations and disapproval astir the squad and their caller form.
Heading into his past World Cup this wintertime -- his last accidental to lucifer Maradona's achievements and cement his bequest arsenic the top subordinate of each clip -- he'll beryllium each excessively alert of the questions asked of him connected and disconnected the pitch.
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The defining qualities
Authenticity, courageousness and accountability: studies some enactment and situation these observations erstwhile it comes to leadership. Research published successful world diary "Frontiers successful Psychology" asked 450 coaches and 198 players from shot and volleyball to measure however they selected, and past responded to, their squad captain. Those chosen for having beardown motivational and societal skills were seen arsenic the strongest leaders, portion captains selected connected superior diversion accomplishment and their presumption successful the centre of the transportation didn't garner the aforesaid level of concern from teammates.
However, a survey successful the Asian Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology asked players from Premier League academies the aforesaid questions and received differing opinions. Participants understood the value of having "multiple jock leaders wrong the team," but lone successful supporting the chosen captain, portion presumption and accomplishment level weren't considered cardinal credentials for players successful the enactment radical adjacent though they were seen arsenic important erstwhile picking a subordinate to deterioration the armband.
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Captaincy matters; that overmuch is certain. The symbolic powerfulness bestowed upon the wearer energise the armband beyond the existent fabric.
"It makes maine grin conscionable reasoning astir it," says Troost-Ekong. "I consciousness immense pridefulness each clip I locomotion into the changing country to spot my garment alongside the captain's armband and the emblem of Nigeria. The different players looking to me, which makes maine privation to tally done a ceramic wall."
At the World Cup successful Qatar, captains of immoderate 30 competing nations volition consciousness the unit to criticise the big nation's stance connected same-sex relationships and its quality rights record, portion besides giving everything connected the pitch. It's their work to galvanise disheartened teammates and revitalise bushed legs, and to beryllium the pipeline for connection betwixt the manager and players but besides fans, officials, the media and more, arsenic they look changeless scrutiny for their performances and responses to ideological battles.
Asking a footballer specified arsenic Kane to beryllium a world-class striker and an impassioned yet savvy activistic highlights the expanding value of the armband. It's each portion of the job.
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