Every 2024-25 Premier League Captain Ranked From Worst to Best

The Premier League is filled with incredible players, but every team needs one man who will stand above the rest and lead his team to glory. Being club captain is not an easy task, requiring dedication, passion, composure and a fair dose of natural ability, too.

To be selected as club captain, you don’t necessarily have to be the best player at your club. That said, a few of the captains in this division are definitely among the best players in the Premier League. Some may simply be the longest-serving player at their respective club and have been rewarded for their loyalty by being handed the armband, while others are newer to the role of captain, but excel nonetheless.

With all that in mind, all 20 Premier League captains for the 2024/25 season have been ranked from worst to best, based on the factors below.

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Ranking Factors

• Individual ability and contributions
• Leadership qualities
• Team success
• Availability for team
• Experience in the role

20

Reece James

Chelsea

When he’s fully fit, Reece James is one of the best right-backs in the Premier League, no doubt about it. Unfortunately, his injury issues keep cropping up and holding him back from his full potential. Worse still, when he was back in the team in 2023/24, he managed to pick up a couple of red cards, which is not exactly the kind of example a club captain should be setting.

Still, as an academy graduate, few players in that squad can claim to understand what it means to be a Chelsea player like James can. If he can get his fitness sorted out, and his discipline, the Blues skipper could go on to become a great captain.

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19

Nelson Semedo

Wolves

Mario Lemina was only given the armband at Wolves at the start of the season when Max Kilman left to join West Ham. Yet, just a few short months later, the former Juventus midfielder was stripped of the duty following a post-match brawl with the Hammers captain, Jarrod Bowen.

The role now falls on the shoulders of Nelson Semedo, who is the longest-tenured player at Molineux, making him a natural fit. Given how short a period he has had with the responsibility, he can’t go any higher. However, we are more confident in his availability than we are with James, which is why he already leapfrogs above him.

18

Jarrod Bowen

West Ham

West Ham had a notable void to fill when Declan Rice moved on in the summer of 2023, and Kurt Zouma was the man chosen to take over as club captain. It was a fairly understandable, if not uninspiring choice by David Moyes, and after just one season, Jarrod Bowen was given the armband instead.

While it’s too early to rate the English winger as a captain, he has certainly been a leader on the pitch for the Hammers over the past few seasons, scoring 16 league goals last term and grabbing another five in all competitions thus far in 2024/25. He also stepped up for his club when it mattered most, famously netting the winner and being named Man of the Match in the Europa Conference League final win of 2023.

17

Adam Smith

Bournemouth

Former captain Beto joined Arsenal on loan towards the end of the transfer window, and so someone needed to fill the Brazilian’s void. It was a fairly straightforward replacement for Andoni Iraola, who turned to a man who first joined Bournemouth on loan in 2010.

Permanently, Adam Smith has been at the club since 2014 and has played in League One all the way to the Premier League for the Cherries, and the defender bleeds red and black. There was no better choice to replace the out-on-loan shot-stopper than the former Tottenham youngster.

16

Jack Stephens

Southampton

Stephens took over from James Ward-Prowse in the wake of the midfielder’s move to West Ham. The centre-back is not the most exciting player of all time, but he’s incredibly solid, and even more loyal, too, having been a part of the Saints setup since 2011.

He’s been in and out of loan spells over the years, but he finally got a chance to shine with Southampton in the 2023/24 campaign, leading them to play-off glory and promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking. The newly promoted side have expectedly struggled since, but this isn’t solely down to poor efforts from their skipper.

15

Christian Norgaard

Brentford

Christian Norgaard has been with Brentford since their days in the Championship, and has been a consistently solid figure in the centre of midfield as the Bees not only gained promotion to the top flight, but have established themselves as a competitive Premier League outfit.

He’s the beating heart of the Brentford team, a player who covers every blade of grass, gets stuck in, and dictates the pace and flow of the game for his team. Make no mistake, Brentford are a far worse team without Norgaard in the lineup.

14

Ryan Yates

Nottingham Forest

A product of the Nottingham Forest academy, Ryan Yates is Forest through and through and was the worthy replacement to take over from Joe Worrall when he left the club in August 2024. For all the changes to the squad that the Garibaldi have seen ever since they were promoted in 2022, Yates has remained a consistent presence and is enjoying his best spell yet with Forest flying under Nuno Espirito Santo.

In terms of quality and leadership, there are better options. But for the City Ground outfit, there is really no one more deserving of the honour.

13

Marc Guehi

Crystal Palace

Despite his young age, Marc Guehi has demonstrated his leadership capabilities across various levels. The England international has captained the under-21 side for his country and has now succeeded Joel Ward as Crystal Palace’s captain.

His tenure has not been without controversy. Guehi faced scrutiny from the FA after writing a religious message on an armband celebrating LGBTQ+ communities. However, he avoided formal punishment after being spoken to and warned about the potential for his actions to inadvertently offend others. Nonetheless, the defender’s courage in expressing his beliefs reflects a notable level of character.

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12

Tom Cairney

Fulham

Tom Cairney has now been captain of Fulham for eight years, which is an incredible feat in itself, making him the longest-serving captain on this list. His earlier days at Fulham saw the Scottish midfielder far more involved, and he earned many plaudits for his role in helping Fulham return to the Premier League in 2022 by winning the Championship title.

He’s played 337 times for the Cottagers now, and even at the age of 33, he only missed four league games last season as Fulham once again achieved a mid-table finish in the Premier League. While mainly utilised from the bench in games so far in the current term, Cairney remains a valuable influence at the club.

11

Sam Morsy

Ipswich Town

He may not be a household name, but Sam Morsy has now led Ipswich Town to back-to-back promotions, and not many captains in the world can say that. He joined Ipswich in 2021 and was almost immediately made club captain, and that decision has obviously paid off for the Tractor Boys, who have one of the most impressive leaders in the league now.

Morsy had an excellent 2023/24 campaign, with the dynamic, hard-working midfielder winning the PFA Player of the Year award for the Championship. He has done a decent job in adapting to life in the top flight, but will have to pull off a minor miracle if he is to keep pushing his teammates to survival.

10

Lewis Dunk

Brighton

For the past few years (2023-24 excluded), Brighton have just gotten better and better. Despite a run of different managers, the Seagulls have always maintained a stylish and entertaining style of football, but that is largely built on the foundations of a very solid defence. At the heart of that backline is the ever-dependable Lewis Dunk.

Dunk has enjoyed a real rise to prominence in the last couple of years, too, and is now even part of the England set-up. The towering centre-half has led Brighton into Europe, helped them climb the Premier League table, and is now in his 11th season in the senior side after graduating from the club’s academy in 2013.

9

Jamie Vardy

Leicester City

Where do you begin with someone like Jamie Vardy? The man is a literal icon now, after achieving the impossible dream of rising through the leagues of the football ladder to become one of the most successful Premier League strikers of all time. In 2012, he was playing for non-league Fleetwood Town, but a move to Leicester saw him make the jump to the top flight, and the rest is history.

With 196 goals, a Premier League and FA Cup winners medal, and a few England caps to boot, you cannot deny Vardy’s incredible legacy. He stuck with Leicester after their relegation last season, led the side admirably as they secured the Championship title to return to their rightful place in the top division, and even still at the grand old age of 37, remains their biggest goalscoring threat.

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8

Seamus Coleman

Everton

If you thought Dunk’s 11 years at Brighton was impressive, then how about 15 years at Everton for Seamus Coleman? Ever since arriving from the Irish leagues, Coleman has been one of the top right-backs in the Premier League. Reminiscent of the classic full-backs of the ’90s, Coleman is a simple yet solid player, who always puts in a shift, and does the dirty work for his team.

The Irishman has been an incredible servant to Everton, through good times and bad, and is a sterling example for the players around him at all times. Had we made this ranking three years ago, Coleman would certainly find himself higher up. But his lack of availability on the pitch in 2024/25 costs him.

7

Kyle Walker

Manchester City

During his Premier League career, Kyle Walker has often been one of Manchester City’s most consistent performers. Solid defensively, decent going forward, and as rapid as they’ve come in recent years, the England international has a resume and a trophy cabinet to back up his stellar career to date.

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Walker was named club captain by Pep Guardiola for the 2024/25 season, with Kevin De Bruyne, Ruben Dias, Rodri, Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan forming up the vice-captain team. Unfortunately for City’s skipper, he has overseen their worst run of form in the Guardiola era, and has even come under fire himself. He is a valuable influence in the dressing room and a solid captain compared to his peers, but maybe not the most exceptional leader of them all.

6

Martin Odegaard

Arsenal

Arsenal are now right up there with the top teams in the division, and a lot of their progress has been built around this man. Martin Odegaard may be one of the younger captains in the Premier League (second actually, behind Reece James), but he leads the Gunners with an incredible air of composure and confidence.

Odegaard is not necessarily a vocal captain, he leads more by example, dictating the way Arsenal play and contributing plenty in terms of attacking returns. The real test of his leadership now, though, is whether he can actually lead Arsenal to a title or a cup win.

5

Bruno Guimaraes

Newcastle United

With rumours linking him to a Newcastle United exit, Bruno Guimaraes was surprisingly named club captain in August 2024. Reports of a potential move to Manchester City meant the announcement came a little out of left field, but if it is what keeps the midfielder at St. James’ Park, then it will be a very wise appointment.

Guimaraes has been a force to be reckoned with for Eddie Howe’s side since his arrival in January 2022. Of all the impressive figures that Newcastle have signed post the big money takeover, none have been more important to their success on the field than the Brazilian. He’s vocal, tenacious and as tough as they come. All the great qualities of a leader and he’s a world-class talent, which certainly doesn’t hurt either.

4

Heung-min Son

Tottenham Hotspur

The South Korean star is approaching a decade at Spurs now, and his 167 goals put him in the top five all-time top goalscorers at the club. Heung-min Son had a huge task on his hands this summer when he was chosen as the new skipper for the Lilywhites after Hugo Lloris’ decline and Harry Kane’s departure, but he stepped up both on and off the pitch.

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Son is not afraid to face the media in bad times, and even when things are going well, he very publicly demands more from his teammates and is clearly determined to bring success to Tottenham. Like Odegaard, that will be the ultimate proof of his leadership, but he is able to contribute more goals to the team, which gives him the edge over the young Norwegian, for now.

3

Bruno Fernandes

Manchester United

Interestingly, Bruno Fernandes is one of the only captains on this list to actually lead his team to a major piece of silverware. In fact, the Manchester United man has now won the League Cup and the FA Cup as the Red Devils’ skipper, so he’s technically the most decorated captain on this whole list. So, why isn’t he top of the pile?

Well, the problem is, Fernandes can sometimes look like one of the best midfielders on the planet, and on other days, looks a little disinterested and does have a tendency to go missing. However, when he is at his best — like in the recent FA Cup final win — he is able to drag his team up to a higher standard, and is capable of producing genuine moments of magic.

2

John McGinn

Aston Villa

No, John McGinn hasn’t won any major titles with Aston Villa, but he’s in the upper echelons of this list down to his pure passion and commitment to the team. The Scotsman is an old-fashioned captain, who leaves it all on the pitch, is vocal on the pitch when rallying his teammates, and is not afraid to get stuck in and set the standard for his side.

He’s also helped Villa get promoted back to the Premier League in 2019, climb the table in the top flight, and is now scoring goals for them in the Champions League. You can’t ask much more of a player than that.

1

Virgil van Dijk

Liverpool

Virgil van Dijk may only have officially become Liverpool captain in the summer of 2023, but it feels like the Dutchman has been the key man for the Reds for years now. When he’s missing, you can tell, and Liverpool really do need his presence to be the top side they’re capable of being.

While the Anfield outfit could only secure a Carabao Cup win in Klopp’s final season after something of a Premier League collapse, Van Dijk has ensured that his teammates step up a level under Arne Slot. As a result, Liverpool sit high and mighty at the top of the Premier League table, meaning the commanding centre-half may end up lifting the trophy come the end of the season.