Tottenham should make Christian Eriksen their captain

Christian Eriksen is ready to be Tottenham’s captain

Hugo Lloris has done a fine job serving as Tottenham’s captain this season, but Christian Eriksen deserves to wear the armband next year. He has proven to be the true heartbeat of the Spurs side all season long.

Having your keeper as a captain is far from an ideal situation. Lloris is limited in terms of how much he can communicate with his teammates on the pitch. It’s not as if he’s going to sprint into the attacking third to provide useful instructions to his club’s attack.

As an attacking midfielder, Eriksen doesn’t suffer from any positional limitations. He is frequently Tottenham’s top runner. He covers plenty of ground and interacts frequently with players all over the pitch for Spurs.

Of course, his position is not what qualifies him to be the club’s captain. Instead, it’s his spirit. Eriksen’s phenomenal work rate and poise on the ball are the qualities that make him ideal to lead the squad. Eriksen is quietly intense and cool under pressure. He is the perfect representative for Mauricio Pochettino on the pitch.

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Naming Eriksen captain would also be a solid move off the pitch for Spurs. He’s certainly going to be a target for quite a few big European sides this summer. Tottenham have the ability to repel any reasonable bid for their Danish maestro, but naming him their captain would only increase the prices necessary to pry him away. Bestowing the honor on Eriksen would also make him feel better about staying at the club no matter who comes calling this summer.

There are two possible negative consequences of naming Eriksen captain though. The first is that it could unsettle Lloris. I don’t think that would be the case if Pochettino handled things carefully, but it’s a risk that must be acknowledged. The Frenchman is a very important part of the squad and must feel valued a tall times.

The second reasonable concern is how Harry Kane would react to the move. He’s generally the player who assumes the armband in Lloris’ absence currently. There’s no question he has the talent and drive to be the club’s captain as well. However, his youth and injury history do make naming him captain a bit premature at the current point in time. Pochettino would need to talk Kane through the decision, but he has a good enough relationship with his English star to help him see it’s the right move.

Next: Spurs player ratings: Eriksen shines at Stoke

I don’t expect Tottenham to give Christian Eriksen the captain’s armband this summer, but it would be a brilliant move from Pochettino. He’s the perfect conduit for the Argentine gaffer on the pitch and giving him the honour would only solidify his future with Spurs.

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