Royal Blue Mersey roundtable: Everton’s next captain

With the new season upcoming, the crew here at Royal Blue Mersey gathered their thoughts on who should be the captain of Everton. Veteran Phil Jagielka is still at the club, while talisman Wayne Rooney has come back to the fold now. Gareth Barry and Leighton Baines are venerable veterans too while Seamus Coleman is a national team captain but is out injured for a few more months. Davy Klaassen was the Ajax captain while Ashley Williams was Swansea skipper and still is for Wales too.

Who should be the next Everton captain? Why? Who should also be in the running? Why?

Brian -

The obvious answer is Baines, but I don't think he wants it or has the personality for it. I'd go with Barry for now, assuming Jagielka leaves. But failing that I think I'd give it to Coleman. Yes he's injured, but that is temporary.

Adam -

Coleman is among the longest tenured players at Everton, still has several good years ahead of him, and has proven to be a leader via his captaincy of the Irish national team. He is an ideal choice for next Everton captain.

Baines, another long-tenured Toffee, would be a decent choice as well, but he has less leadership experience and fewer days as a starter in front of him. New arrival Klaassen was captain at Ajax, and looks to be a foundational building block for the club going forward, but needs a little more time to learn what it means to be an Evertonian.

Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images

Zach -

I've got Baines pegged for this year's Captain. Baines is someone who will be on the pitch on a regular basis and his leadership traits are obvious. He has a long time of service at the club and the respect of the locker room.

Rooney should be in the running because he is the biggest legend currently playing in English football and the respect he garners is unquestioned. I would prefer him as a vice captain though. Coleman should be in the running at some point but it's probably a bit premature now. Perhaps he would be a good option for a second vice Captain. There are others I could name because Everton has some of the best locker room leadership anywhere around, but those three would be my top options.

Mike -

Coleman or Baines for me. Lots of blood, sweat, and tears in blue. And we haven't signed anyone to replace either of those positions, so they'll likely be on the field a lot. Morgan Schneiderlin is a dark horse candidate.

Tyler -

I have felt for a while now that Coleman deserves to be the Everton captain. When healthy, he is one of the best right backs in the league. He shows more passion than anyone else in the team. And he’s earned rave reviews for the way he has performed in the role for Ireland. No doubt in my mind that he would be able to lead the Toffees and garner the respect of everyone in the locker room.

Some other contenders, in the short term, could be Rooney, Williams or Schneiderlin. The Rooney reasoning is obvious. Williams is the Wales captain and a steady contributor at the club. And Schneiderlin may be the best player at Everton. Ask again in a couple of years, and it wouldn’t surprise me to see Jordan Pickford or Michael Keane to get the armband.

Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images

Sean -

If you had asked me the question earlier this year, the choice was an obvious one - Coleman. However, Rooney's return has muddied the waters. Personally, I think it should go to Rooney given the experience he has and I don't think Seamus would be put out at all, he's that type of personality.

Worth mentioning that I don't think it will change, even if Jagielka is not seen as the ideal fit for the role.

Tom -

Rooney is the obvious contender for the Everton captaincy should Jagielka move on. His vast experience, knowledge and influence make him the natural fit for the role. He already appears to have had a positive impact on his teammates, particularly the young players. The only issue would be if he struggles to get into the team regularly. If that's the case then Williams or Baines would be able deputies, with Coleman the long-term option once he has fully recovered from his injury.

Calvin -

Jagielka might not be right man for the job any more, especially because of the changes in the team, and the insecurity of his spot in the side. The same goes for Barry.

Coleman might be the correct long-term choice, but by the time he gets back to this side with all the new faces, the dynamic could be interesting. In the meantime though, this is Rooney’s team, he’ll be on the pitch a lot and should wear the armband.

Let’s hear your thoughts below on who should be captain, and don’t forget to vote too.