There are three outfield candidates to be Aberdeen captain for next season.
Manager Jim Goodwin handed the captaincy back to keeper Joe Lewis following the exit of Scott Brown in March.
However, Goodwin confirmed Lewis’ captaincy was until the end of the season.
That suggests the manager will be looking to appoint a new skipper for the 2022-23 campaign – and beyond.
I don’t think a goalkeeper should be a captain as an outfield player can have much more influence on the game.
That is in no way detrimental to Lewis. With my experience, I just believe a captain should be an outfield player who can see the game in front of them.
That tends to be a central midfielder or central defender.
McCrorie has shown long-term commitment to the Reds
There are three captaincy candidates I see in the squad – Ross McCrorie, David Bates and Lewis Ferguson.
All three have been first-team regulars under new manager Goodwin.
McCrorie scooped the Player of the Year award at the club’s ceremony recently and had a solid campaign.
In the recently finished season, he played in central defence, midfield and right-back, so he is very versatile.
McCrorie also signed a contract extension tying him to the club until summer 2026.
That underlines the faith Goodwin has in the 23-year-old and also McCrorie’s long-term commitment to the club.
Fergie as an incentive to stay?
Midfielder Ferguson finished the campaign as Aberdeen’s top scorer on 16 goals and has broken into the Scotland international squad.
He is ever-present in the Aberdeen starting line-up.
However, there is obviously speculation that Ferguson could exit Aberdeen in the summer for another club.
Bates? Or will new signing take armband?
Centre-back Bates is also a regular starter and has been capped by Scotland.
Scotland international Declan Gallagher has a lot of experience and was previously Motherwell captain.
However, he was in and out of the team last season.
Of course, there is also the possibility that Goodwin could sign a player in the summer who comes in to become club captain.
There will be a major rebuild of the squad this summer.
As part of that, Goodwin could take in an experienced player who has captained at a high level before to take on the armband.
That happened last summer when ex-Aberdeen manager Stephen Glass signed former Celtic midfielder Brown.
It was inevitable Brown would get the captaincy when it was confirmed he was leaving Parkhead and joining Aberdeen.
That level of experience is invaluable as he was captain of Celtic for many years.
Whoever is given the captaincy must be able to galvanise a team, which just delivered a very disappointing season.
A club captain must lead by example and be able to shoulder the responsibility of leading out a big club.
The new skipper, whoever that is, will have to play a key role in turning around Aberdeen’s fortunes.
Finishing 10th in the Premiership table is simply not good enough.
Aberdeen’s captain must be a player who has a major influence on the field of play and also off it in the dressing room.
That can be in various ways.
It can be verbally and it can be by taking responsibility on the pitch.
That can also come from delivering strong personal performances and by driving the team forward.
It does not necessarily mean you must have an outgoing personality, but you must be influential in the dressing room.
A captain must be a player that starts regularly and has to be a star performer.
Club captain has to be the link between not just the team and the manager, but the team and the supporters. It is a very important job.
🔴⚽️ Aberdeen’s summer shopping list – Off the back of @PJ_PThird’s Reds Rebuild series, running this week, we discuss what boss Jim Goodwin needs in every area of the park this summer.
The latest Northern Goal podcast is available here: https://t.co/7BPyVudICI pic.twitter.com/c7pjAhPgui
— EveningExpress Sport (@ee_sport) May 19, 2022
Focus now on players arriving
Confirmation of the players exiting Pittodrie must be the turbo-boost to start a summer transfer window rebuild.
Aberdeen recently confirmed six first-team players will exit the club.
It was already well known that Andy Considine was leaving and he said an emotional farewell to fans in the final game of the season.
There was no surprise at the identity of the other players who have been told they will leave.
Supporters will already have had a very strong idea on who was set to exit.
🔴 One final lap of Pittodrie for Andy Considine.#StandFree | @AndyConsie4 pic.twitter.com/DFFiKVHyTR
— Aberdeen FC (@AberdeenFC) May 15, 2022
You only had to look at the players out of contract and the lack of regular game time for the majority of them.
Funso-King Ojo, Dylan McGeouch and Michael Ruth will all leave following the expiry of their contracts.
Loan players Teddy Jenks (Brighton and Hove Albion) and Adam Montgomery (Celtic) have also returned to their parent clubs.
However, the important aspect is not who is leaving Pittodrie – but who is coming in.
That is what supporters want to know.
Who Goodwin will sign to turn around the club’s fortunes after an extremely disappointing season?
Supporters are expecting a busy summer with players coming into Pittodrie.
That is required as the manager needs signings to build his own team and stamp his personality on the club.
Last season has been confined to history and now supporters are eager to see what the summer, and next season, will bring.
There will be a new era under Goodwin and supporters will be excited to see the players that will come in to be part of that.
Chance to make impact for Ferguson
Aberdeen midfielder Lewis Ferguson will have a great opportunity to add to his Scotland cap count next month.
The 22-year-old has been named in Scotland boss Steve Clarke’s squad for the upcoming World Cup play-offs and Uefa Nations League games.
Scotland face Ukraine at Hampden on Wednesday June 1 in the World Cup play-off semi-final.
Hopefully they will then be involved in the play-off final against Wales on June 5.
The enormity of those games cannot be overstated. A place at the World Cup finals at Qatar is so close – hopefully Scotland can take it.
Scotland then face Armenia home and away and Republic of Ireland in the Nations League.
That is potentially five games in just two weeks.
It is very unusual to see that many international matches in such a short period of time outwith a major tournament.
Most of the Scotland players have had a long and tiring season.
Manager Clarke might have to rest one or two for certain games to get the best out of the squad.
That could offer the chance to players like Ferguson to come in and make a statement as to their international aspirations.
If you get the chance on the field of play you try to shine to confirm you are good enough to be a regular starter at international level.
Clarke will need to use his squad and these games offer the chance to give young players like Ferguson game time.
Ferguson made his first start for Scotland in the 2-2 friendly draw with Austria in March.
The midfielder has the ability and talent to be an established international player.
International football is different from club football and it is a learning process.
It is a higher standard.
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