Greatest Club Captain in the History of the EPL

dictionary.com defines "captain" as "a person who is at the head of or in authority over others; chief; leader." This is a fairly wide definition and in the world of English soccer, encompasses a great many responsibilities. Captains, at various times, are considered merely field generals, commanding the attention of the other 10 players on the pitch and setting the tone for the game; ensuring the players are doing their best at all times. He's the roll model, the player everyone else on the pitch looks up to. Off the field, the captain's roll changes slightly, but the purpose should be the same - to provide an example of how to live the life of fame and fortune with dignity.

To determine the greatest club captain in the 18 year history of the EPL, several factors were considered. First of all, club prominence as defined by general levels of success. Without researching the captinial lineage of every mid-table team for 18 years, I focused on the teams that sustained the highest levels of success, simply because while there is something to say for leading a team to 9th place every year (and who knows, maybe outside factors such as financial constraints limited a teams ability to achieve higher levels of success despite having a fantastic captain), leading your team to glory is what it's all about. Secondly, tenure. One or two years with the armband (Cantona), despite any trophies obtained in that time, does not equate to eternal leader, especially if both the predecessor and successor are still on the roster. And finally, non-football factors. You might dispute the way I use this to make my argument later, but as a whole, it could include anything from constant managerial changes, to drug and alcohol problems, to legacy.

I hope you enjoy.

I'll start with a quick rundown of some current skippers that could be considered:
Steven Gerrard - no doubts about his leadership qualities. Liverpool revolves around him and he's mostly stayed out of the tabloids. He has lifted the Champions League trophy (miraculously) but no EPL titles. He's seen the core of his squad overturned year after year under Rafa Benitez and only Jaime Carragher remains from that triumphant 2005 squad (and he also wore the armband for a spell) So maybe in 15 years I'll consider him more, but for now, I think he falls short on the legacy aspect.
Frank Lampard - Funny how you can sometimes be a club captain when your teammate, John Terry, is your national team teammate and skipper. Not quite up to par with the names to come.
John Terry - A few EPL titles, lots of big egos in the club house, but really, why would you ever consider leaving your club for money when you are known as Mr. Chelsea. No dice buddy.
Robbie Keane - A deputy captain for Tottenham while Ledley King recovers from a near 3-year injury absence. Left for Liverpool (his boyhood team) when the front office screwed over the Army, but came back and resumed his duties. Spurs have been close to greatness more than once, but he was never able to push them over the edge, so general achievements leaves him short.

Now for the real players.
Alan Shearer - Newcastle captain from 99-06, all time club goal scorer with a European strike rate that would make anyone take notice. However, he was not a fan favorite at the time when Ruud Gullit handed him the reigns. Newcastle also operated on a yo-yo during his time, finishing in the top 5 and as low as 13th almost every other year. There was constant unrest in the front office (which still continues) and Newcastle made 3 managerial changes during his time. Had Newcastle not been relegated and on the brink of being sold and be able to keep their players, perhaps his legacy would be about more than just his goal scoring. No.

Tony Adams - Captain Fantastic at Arsenal for 15 of his 22 years as a Gunner. Won 9 major trophies. Any time anyone captains a team for 15 years, clearly they're doing something right and deserve to be considered among the greatest ever. And his team was obviously successful, so there's no doubting his ability to lead his team from his center back position into the promised land. But as I said earlier, non-football factors have to be considered. His off-field drinking problem constantly hampered his image and set a terrible example for the rest of the squad. Not being much of an Arse fan, I can still count 5 players that have worn the armband since he left the squad in 2002 - Patrick Vieira, Thierry Henry, William Gallas, Kolo Toure, and Cesc Fabregas. Three of them are currently playing elsewhere. A captain is supposed to lead and teach and instill values. Adams played for 22 years at Arsenal. 22 years. And 3 of the 5 captains over the last 6 years are now gone. Where does that say he knows how to instill the values that make a great leader?

Gary Neville - On a squad that one 11 EPL titles and 2 Champions League trophies, not to mention all the domestic cups. But has only been captain since the 05-06 season and only made 100 appearances in all competitions during that time. Ryan Giggs and Rio Ferdinand (who will prob end up winning this debate in 15 years) have filled in nicely. I include Neville because despite being hurt for two years, the able deputies, and now losing his place at right back, he is still the captain. He captains this team, which is the favorite for the EPL title (which would be an unprecedented 4 straight, all under his leadership), wearing a suit and tie, sitting on the bench with the gaffer. You never hear about Man U players in the tabloids. There is a greater collection of young and old talent on that team then arguably ever assembled before. Paul Scholes is not meant to be a 75th min sub. Giggs isn't an occasional starter. John O'Shea has played at least 6 positions because that's what the team needs. Players don't come to Old Trafford to be stars, they come to play for Man U and to win trophies, whatever it takes. Ji Sung Park is a national hero with a following as big as Ichiro, but he hardly ever plays and never gets the attention he would somewhere else. Neville keeps this all together. But you can't say it's all Neville. It's also Giggs and Scholes and Rio. So I can't say he's the greatest captain. (Side note - he was the 91-92 youth squad captain in his first year with that team and lead them to the FA Youth Cup, so it's clear he is and has always been a leader. His brother, Phil, former teammate, is now captain at Everton).

And now my choice, Roy Keane. Manchester United. 1997-2005.
Winner of a number of personal awards and winners medals, his football achievements are only eclipsed by his younger teammates who are still playing. His, pardon me, but "Fuck you" attitude set the tone for a Man U team that tore through England for a decade. Gary Neville, Phil Neville, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, David Beckham, and I think even Nicky Butt (and let's not forget then back-up keeper Tim Howard while never a permanent captain, he damn well should be) have all worn the captains armband for their teams since their time with Keane ended. Articles and recounts of off-field opinions can be seen as either positive or negative. He publicly called for the dismantling of the Treble Squad after claiming that some players (my guess is Bitchham) had "forgot about the game, lost the hunger that got you the Rolex, the cars, the mansion." (wikipedia). Some years later, he ripped on new-boy Rio Ferdinand: "Just because you are paid £120,000-a-week and play well for 20 minutes against Tottenham, you think you are a superstar." In both of these cases, he was playing the roll of leader the same way he played the roll of midfielder - there is one way to play this game and that is with everything you got. Nothing matters but how you prepare and how to play every game. Stop working hard, and you get soft. You get soft, you lose. Later in his career, he figured that his hard tackles and frequent suspensions were impacting his health and career so he softened up his tackles. You might argue that Paul Scholes learned a little something from this lesson. Being a superstar is pointless if you have to sit on the bench during a Champions League Final and have to watch your teammates parade around with your trophy. So he has the achievements. He has the longevity. And he has, unlike Tony Adams, which is basically what this came down to for me, as borrowed from the NFL, the 'captains tree,' and Man U hasn't missed a beat.

Roy Keane is the greatest club captain in the history of the premier league.

Honorable mention to Tim Sherwood, Blackburn Rovers, for their 1994 EPL title. Only team not named Chelsea, Arsenal, or Manchester Utd to win that crown.

~ murph

start of something new

so last year didn't really work out so well. was overly ambitious. but now i'm back with a new format - a weekly debate on a random soccer related topic as argued by myself and friend/teammate/fellow coach, tony. posts should be up on fridays.