The Fan Park Crew takes a look at some of the players who earned the armband at a surprisingly young age – whether it was the right decision by their respective managers or not.
Fernando Torres – 19 Years Old
Yes, the striker, who fell off the map badly at one point, was captain of boyhood club Atletico Madrid at 19-years-old! Nicknamed 'El Nino', he spent six years in Madrid before leaving the captain's armband and his beloved club for Premier League giants Liverpool.
Aaron Ramsey – 20 Years Old
Arsenal's Welsh midfielder was signed by the Gunners from Cardiff in 2006 after looking a promising player. Just two years later, the 20-year-old, who was barely a first team regular at the London club, was appointed as permanent captain for his national team! After two years in the job and string of defeats, he was stripped of the armband - but at 24, he could be given the honour again at a later stage.
Francesco Totti – 21 years old
The Italian legend was named captain of AS Roma in 1997, when he was just 21-years-old, and quite remarkably, he still wears the armband today - at 38-years-old. Totti is just seven games away from 700 appearances for his boyhood club, and his leadership and influence is something all aspiring footballers can learn from.
Raphael Varane – 21 Years Old
The Real Madrid centre-back, who was born in France in 1993, became his nation's youngest ever captain at 21-years-old when he was given the armband after Blaise Matuidi was substituted. He received the honour after just 15 caps for his country, but looked as composed as ever.
Neymar – 22 Years Old
In September 2004, Brazil's golden boy Neymar was named captain for their friendlies against Ecuador and Colombia. It remains an uncertainty whether Thiago Silva will take back the armband, and Neymar went down in history as one of Brazil's youngest captains.
Can you name any other footballers who captained their side at a young age? Give us your names and opinions in the comments section below.
