The Premier League has always staged some true leaders in the game. Some of them glued their name with the titles they won in captaining their side while others speciality lied simply on their leadership qualities. We look at five of such outstanding captains in Premier League history.
Steven Gerrard:
Gerrard may not have won the Premier League with Liverpool but he became an iconic leader for them. He and his team came close on numerous occasions to land the Premier League title but couldn't. As a captain, Gerrard showed incredible talent, passion and class on the pitch. He captained the Reds for over a decade and popped up with some unforgettable strikes that shaped the destiny of his team. One of the greatest midfielders of his generation, Gerrard scored 120 goals in 504 appearances for Liverpool. He played instrumental parts in cup finals and that famous night in Istanbul. Gerrard has been captain 'fantastic' for the English giants.
Tony Adams:
Patrick Vieira became the only captain to lead a Premier League side to an invincible season but Tony Adams became the true leader for Arsenal in their glorious history. He guided Arsenal to two First Division Football League and two Premier League titles. He is considered to be the greatest Arsenal player of all times by the club fans. We all know he has a statue outside of the Emirates Stadium along with Thierry Henry and Herbert Chapman. Adams was an old school, dominant and vocal leader. Tony stood at 6ft 3 inches tall with great value from both of his feet. He is the only player to captain a title-winning side in three decades.
Vincent Kompany:
Among the old fashioned leaders, there is this modern-day captain who's hailed as the 'President'. Without Kompany, it is hard to figure out how Manchester City could have fielded their dominance in a decade. Under the leadership of the Belgian, the Cityzens grabbed four Premier League titles and multiple cup trophies. Kompany was an exceptional defender with the tag name of 'Mr reliable'. Such was his class that City's defense never looked the same after his departure in 2019. Another thing Vincent excelled was scoring 'captain's goal' in a pivotal moment of the season. He was one of the greatest all-around leaders in the Premier League.
John Terry:
Like Kompany, Chelsea had a similar sort of leader in John Terry. Terry also shared a tale of inspiring a club's supremacy with his captaincy.
However, the Englishman gathered one more title than his Belgian counterpart. John Terry crowned everything especially under the stewardship of Jose Mourinho's two eras at Chelsea. He also won the Champions League in 2012. Again like most leaders in the list, he stayed loyal to one club for the entirety of his career. Terry is considered one of the best in his position with his skyrocketing leadership traits. He went on to make 492 appearances for the Blues, carving his name forever in their history books.
Roy Keane:
But it is fair to say that Roy Keane was a leader of leaders. The Irishman sustained everything to become the perfect captain for a club like Manchester United. He received loads of criticism because of uncontrolled aggression on and off the pitch but he was a great footballer. He was the most vocal captain, sustaining an elite mentality. His greatness grew like Alex Ferguson's reign at Manchester United. With Red Devils he won seven league titles, captaining in most of them. Keane is regarded as the best not only because he won so many honors in his career but also because he was a serial winner. His attitude and leadership are untouchable.
