Liverpool’s management team is undergoing its biggest change in years as Jurgen Klopp looks for new figureheads within his playing staff.
Assistant skipper James Milner left for Brighton this summer on a free transfer, while captain Jordan Henderson joins Steven Gerrard in the Saudi Pro League.
The Reds have lifted every club trophy imaginable under the guidance of the two leaders, but the team’s next phase could unfold without them.
The heir to the captaincy is Virgil van Dijk, who has stepped in regularly in the absence of the manager’s two key players and appears ready to step down after a turbulent break in the player hierarchy.
Van Dijk is also the captain of the Dutch national team, which helps him both in terms of experience and leadership skills. The number 4’s new replacement will likely be a bigger question as a number of other international captains and members of Klopp’s management team remain in the squad.
Here we look at some of the leading candidates to become Liverpool’s new vice-captain.
Andy Robertson
Andy Robertson joined The Reds in the summer of 2017 for what turned out to be a bargain price of £8million.
The 29-year-old has become an integral part of the squad on and off the pitch, and is also the current Scotland captain and part of the Reds’ management team, which puts him in talks for the recently vacated vice-captain post.
After six glorious seasons in Merseyside, a promotion to assistant skipper could be the next logical step in the left-back’s career, but a question mark remains over his ability to thrive as part of a third defense in Klopp’s new system.
Suitability: 8
Likelihood: 7
Trent Alexander Arnold
Trent Alexander-Arnold is one year older than Gerrard when he received the bracelet from Gerard Houllier in 2003.
A local lad and a player who will no doubt be aiming for full captaincy for years to come, Trent Klopp could provide the perfect stepping stone fit should Van Dijk be appointed.
The 24-year-old is just one of many players in the manager’s management team, but he looks set to explode on the pitch after giving fans a taste of what he’s capable of in a hybrid role last season.
Suitability: 8
Likelihood: 8
Mohammed Salah
The Egyptian king will certainly have a greater level of responsibility next season if the opportunity arises.
When it comes to leading by example on the pitch, no one has shouldered the burden more than Salah since he arrived at the club in the summer of 2017, netting an obscene 186 goals in 305 appearances. Salah, another national team captain, led Egypt to the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations final and there is no doubt he is capable of carrying a team over the finish line as Gerrard did all those years ago.
Suitability: 8
Likelihood :7
Alisson
The idea of goalkeeping captains may divide supporter opinion, but Alisson is certainly not shy about giving instructions to his colleagues.
The Brazilian guided his side to a 2-0 victory over Porto in November after a vote among the players to decide which players should sit below Henderson and Milner in the pecking order.
He may be the leftmost option out of the available choices, but it’s Alisson’s position, not a lack of leadership qualities, that will likely be the only obstacle.
Suitability: 8
Likelihood : 7
It is an unprecedented situation in Liverpool’s modern history, with the captaincy set to change hands for only the third time in the last two decades. The coach has a lot to think about and will clarify the situation as soon as possible to shift attention to the work to be done this season.
Let us know which of these picks, or others, you think should be the next alternate captain!
