Forget Pogba – This £200,000-a-week superstar is the ideal long-term Manchester United captain

Why David de Gea And Not Paul Pogba Must Be The Next Manchester United Captain

Manchester United are currently placed 2nd in the points table and they might seem like they are in a good place but there are a lot of underlying issues in the club. One of the biggest problems they are facing right now is choosing a captain for the team once Michael Carrick retires, which he is expected to do in the upcoming summer. Until now, different matches have had different players as captains but very soon, Jose Mourinho will have to settle on one long-term choice.

While there are a good number of options in the team, a lot of people are of the opinion that it could be Paul Pogba. After all, he has captained United on quite a few occasions and has done decently enough. However, on a long-term basis, the towering Frenchman might not be the ideal choice for the captaincy.

He is a brilliant player on the field and there is absolutely no doubt about that but many a time, we have seen brilliant players fail as captains and United cannot afford to choose a player who would drag the team down instead of pushing them forward.

Pogba can be quite temperamental. When Mourinho withdrew him during the terrible loss to Tottenham Hotspur, the Frenchman got into a heated argument with Jose on the sidelines and that was a red signal to the possibility of him being the long-term captain. No matter what, he cannot lose his cool while playing as the leader of the team and to that end, Pogba might not be the best choice.

Hence, if Mourinho were to choose, he must go with the prolific Spanish goalkeeper. De Gea is one of United’s most loyal and experienced players and the Old Trafford faithful know him and love him as their beloved ‘flying Spaniard’. The only downside might be De Gea’s affinity to return back to Spain but by appointing him as the captain, the Red Devils can extract long-term commitment from him.

Unlike Pogba on certain occasions, the £200,000-a-week De Gea is a calm and composed presence on the field with a good understanding of the game. Plus, he is understood to have a good rapport with most of his teammates and he is somebody who will not lose his temper even in the most trying situations. United still have the rest of the season to look for options but if there is anybody who can get close to emulating Carrick, it is De Gea.