Forget Martin Odegaard, Arsenal have another ‘great leader’ and Bukayo Saka loves him

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The debate about who deserves to be the Arsenal captain has been ongoing for a while now.

Martin Odegaard is currently the skipper, and he has led this Gunners side brilliantly since taking the armband from Alexandre Lacazette in 2022.

Despite that, Tony Adams urged Mikel Arteta to make Declan Rice the captain before the start of this season.

Now, Bukayo Saka has had his say on his compatriot’s leadership skills.

Bukayo Saka says he’s lucky to be playing with ‘great leader’ Declan Rice

Arsenal star Declan Rice possesses all the qualities you would want from a captain.

The England international donned the armband at West Ham United, and he is the prime candidate to be named the England skipper once Harry Kane retires.

At Arsenal, Rice is a part of the five-man leadership group, which also includes current captain Odegaard and Saka, who has been leading the side since the Norwegian’s injury.

Now, the Gunners’ number seven has heaped praise on Rice’s skills as a leader.

He told The Sun: “Dec is not only a great player but he’s a great leader. Obviously, he was captain at West Ham and even around Arsenal, he’s a big leader.

“He’s a guy who takes a lot of responsibility in the changing room and gets the boys going. So, credit to him for that and of course, he’s doing that here now as well.

“He’s in really good form, a really good mood, and I am happy to be his team-mate. Obviously, he speaks with authority. He communicates well, and he knows what to say at the right moment.”

Declan Rice is great, but he will not be the next Arsenal captain

Rice is a dream player to have, and Arsenal are really lucky that he plays for them.

The former West Ham star is one of the best midfielders in the world, but he is fantastic off the pitch with his teammates as well. He is a proper leader and is worthy of the captaincy.

However, even if Odegaard is no longer the skipper, Rice will not be named as the Arsenal captain.

That’s because Saka is next in line to don the armband, and he has been doing a fantastic job over the last few weeks. He’s an academy graduate, a fan of the club and one of their most important players.

That is why Rice will not be the next Arsenal captain, but that won’t stop him from being a leader within the squad.