Manchester City players vote in new 2024/25 club captain with major change to leadership group confirmed | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City squad have now finalised their leadership group for the 2024/25 season, the Etihad Stadium head coach has confirmed.

Much was made over the summer of the possibility of Manchester City’s first-team squad introducing a new club captain for the ongoing season as a result of off-field issues concerning Kyle Walker.

The England international endured a hugely successful debut campaign as Manchester City captain during the last season, lifting the club’s fourth consecutive Premier League crown, as well as a FIFA Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup double.

However, with Ilkay Gundogan returning to the club on a free transfer from FC Barcelona, and Kevin De Bruyne entering into his final year of contract, there was some level of suspicion that the first-team vote on the club’s leadership group could bring some major changes.

Speaking during a recent press conference, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola confirmed that Kyle Walker has been reinstated as the first-team squad’s club captain, following the latest squad-wide vote on the leadership group.

“Yeah; Kyle (Walker) is the captain,” Guardiola said, before revealing the rest of the now six-man group. “Vice-captain is Kevin (De Bruyne). Ruben (Dias), Rodri, Bernardo (Silva), (Ilkay) Gundo.”

Guardiola continued, “Yeah (six players) because it was tied, it was two ties.” When pointed out that Manchester City could soon have a full eleven of ‘captains’, he said, “Well, for me it doesn’t matter. As much as they have less problems, we will have.”

With Kyle Walker being utilised as a rotation option in the right-back role alongside Rico Lewis, and Kevin De Bruyne currently sidelined through an injury, Manchester City fans may see a number of captain’s armbands handed out to Ruben Dias in the coming weeks.

The Portugal international has long been viewed as a potential first-team captain by supporters, and his growing status within the squad points towards that coming true in the next few seasons.

However, for now, whilst Walker and De Bruyne in particular continue to command the respect of their teammates, the captain’s armband may not venture away from those two players too regularly for quite a while yet.