Louis Van Gaal Considers Manchester United Captaincy - Why Wayne Rooney Should Take The Armband Next Season

Last season’s Manchester United captain was Serbian defender Nemanja Vidic. The towering centre-back has now joined Italian club Inter Milan, creating competition to replace him as skipper for next season. Some sources, including the official Manchester United website, suggest that Louis van Gaal is pondering who to choose and may delay the decision until Michael Carrick is fit.

Picking a captain is no easy task and there are many different types of players who take the role. Gone are the days where the loudest player has to take the armband. An example of this could be Steven Gerrard of Liverpool, who has said himself that he is not always the most vocal on the pitch. However, as the Reds' longest-serving player, he can get individuals motivated by pulling them over to one side and having a word before a game.

I think my kind of captain would be a player that knows the club very well and has been there a long time. He does not have to get in team mates faces and make them feel uncomfortable, but he should be able to motivate them and give them encouragement where possible.

A United player that suits this kind of style is Michael Carrick. He has been there since 2006 and is a very important member of the side. He does not seem to be the sort to hurl abuse when team-mates do something wrong and he could be a calm head to remind them of their class and tell them to keep their heads up.

Louis van Gaal is a manager that is known to be a bit of a shouter in the dressing room, and so I think he will go for someone like Wayne Rooney to captain the side next year. Rooney is very vocal on the pitch and often looks as though he is shouting at team mates when they do something wrong. He has also now been at the club for a decade and that could stand him in good stead to take the armband.