Arsenal: Just make Hector Bellerin the captain already

Arsenal’s captaincy situation is a mess, and it has been for years, so just get it over with and make Hector Bellerin the captain now.

The captaincy of a club doesn’t really work if you’re always wondering if the captain is going to leave. Or worse, fearing that the captain is going to leave. Arsene Wenger had a habit of making his Arsenal captain someone who was either on the brink of retirement or about to be sold.

Unai Emery did the right thing and made Granit Xhaka his captain—a decision made for the long-term—but even he kind of half-arsed it by naming four other captains as well. And then the falling out against Crystal Palace and, yeah, another black eye on the captaincy.

Now the current captain, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, is headed for the exit and this the armband must yet again pass to another, maybe one that will stay for a whole season this time, who knows. It seems to be cursed.

Arsenal has no better captain candidate than Hector Bellerin

Mikel Arteta needs to just get it out of the way and name Hector Bellerin the captain once and for all. Bellerin has been at the club since he was 16, he’s grown through fan feuds, through dissent and praise, through growth and mishaps.

And recently, he’s come out and spoken about how he wants to help inspire youngsters the same way that Arteta inspired him.

"“I think it’s really important to support young players to be who they are, it can be hard coming into a dressing room when you have senior players questioning why you are doing something or wearing something but it’s so important that the next generation are true to themselves.“If I can help them do that then I am very happy to do so.”"

That’s what he told football london, and if there was ever a more captainly thing to say, I’ve never heard it said. Bellerin has eyes on those around him, on the next generation on Arsenal talent, not just on himself, his own stock, his own paycheck, or where he is going to play next.

This is a guy that’s in it for everyone else around him as much as he is in it for himself. Also, it must be said that the Arteta that inspired Bellerin when he was young just so happened to be the captain of the club as well.

It stands to reason that Bellerin will be the next captain, since he is currently the vice-captain to Aubameyang, but just get it over with and name Bellerin the captain outright. Clearly he’s one of the few guys here with the gumption to do the job for the long-term.