Gabby Agbonlahor has claimed that Tyrone Mings will be ‘upset’ after Steven Gerrard replaced him as Aston Villa captain with John McGinn, as he told talkSPORT.
Towards the back end of last season, Gerrard hinted at a possible change of captaincy when he shared that he was undecided on who will be the skipper for the 2022/23 Premier League season.
Heading into pre-season, the legendary midfielder made it clear that the captain’s armband is up for grabs, despite Mings being a popular figure in the dressing room and a vocal figure out on the pitch.
And on Wednesday, Villa confirmed on Twitter that McGinn will now lead the side out, with goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez as the vice-captain and the experienced, Ashley Young, taking the role as club captain.
Former Villa striker Agbonlahor reacted to that call and he is hopeful that the vocal Mings still does his talking out on the pitch.
“The first thing is that Steven Gerrard, one of the best midfielders to have played in the Premier League, was the captain of Liverpool,” said Agbonlahor.
“He’s looking at his midfield. McGinn, Luiz and Kamara. He’s looking at McGinn, he likes to get about people. He likes to kick people and leave everything on the pitch. I feel he will love that from McGinn.
“I think he will be a bit upset because when he became captain at Aston Villa, you can tell he enjoyed it. The talking from the back. The armband. It’s a proud moment.
“To lose it, yes he will be upset, but for me, it doesn’t change much. You can still be talking. Telling McGinn to get back.”
MINGS TO BE DROPPED?
This is perhaps another sign that Gerrard will drop Mings to the bench ahead of Villa’s Premier League opener against Bournemouth.
It’s a harsh call by Gerrard to take the armband off Mings, but one, in the long run, that is probably needed, especially for his game going forward.
The England international sent a classy Twitter message straight after Gerrard’s decision was confirmed and made it clear that this is all about what is best for Villa.
But for the player himself, that pressure is no longer on his shoulders and he can now fight for his place in Gerrard’s XI.
More than likely, it will probably be summer signing Diego Carlos who starts ahead of him at Bournemouth, but it’s going to be interesting to see how Mings reacts to this blow because his career in the Midlands is now on the edge and it’s all about how he picks himself up from this.
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