Aberdeen manager Stephen Robinson has revealed he plans to adopt a similar captaincy structure to English champions Arsenal as he looks to fill the void left by Graeme Shinnie.
Shinnie departed Pittodrie after turning down a new contract, opting instead to return to Inverness for the upcoming season, leaving the club without one of its most influential leaders.
Robinson acknowledged the difficulty of replacing his former skipper, admitting that Shinnie possessed a rare combination of qualities that made him exceptional in the role.
“Graeme Shinnie was quite unique in that he was able to fulfil all the facets of being a captain,” Robinson said, paying tribute to the outgoing club skipper.
“He could run the dressing-room. He could pass on the tactical messages on the pitch and he did a lot off the pitch for the football club as well.”
Rather than burden one individual with those responsibilities, Robinson intends to spread the leadership duties across a group of four or five players.
Arsenal operate a similar system, with Martin Odegaard serving as captain and supported by Declan Rice, Gabriel, Bukayo Saka and Mikel Merino beneath him.
“So we’ll have a group of four or five people who run the boys and over time, once we have had a good look at everyone, we’ll appoint a club captain,” Robinson confirmed.
He added that behind the appointed captain there would be a support group covering dressing-room management, on-pitch communication, and off-pitch welfare responsibilities for players.
“That’s a job for more than one person. Arsenal do it, they have four or five who represent all aspects of the club,” the Aberdeen boss stated plainly.
Robinson also reflected on how football leadership has evolved, noting that the old approach of shouting and kicking down doors is no longer the most effective method.
“Society has changed now, the days of a captain shouting and screaming, kicking doors down to get their point across are long gone,” he said.
Aberdeen are currently in the Netherlands for a pre-season training camp, with a friendly against FC Twente scheduled for Saturday to round off their preparations.
Vice-captain Nicky Devlin and new signing Brad Lyons both wore the armband during a pre-season fixture against Cove Rangers, while Kevin Nisbet also captained the side late last campaign.
Mats Knoester remains another option, and Latvian national captain Kristers Tobers is also working his way back to full fitness ahead of the new season.
Lyons, who captained Kilmarnock before his summer move north, has been highlighted by Robinson as a player who will add much-needed physicality to Aberdeen’s midfield.
“He’s a very underrated player, he does the dirty bit of the game very well – winning headers and winning tackles,” Robinson stated of his fellow Northern Irishman.
Robinson acknowledged that last season Aberdeen lacked physicality in midfield and were pushed around too much, identifying that as a key area requiring investment during the summer window.
The Pittodrie recruitment drive has delivered a host of new faces including Alexander Briedl, Dan Happe, Toyosi Olusanya, Ayoub Mouloua, Connor Ronan, Tony Yogane, and Lewis Mayo alongside Lyons.
Mayo joins Lyons in making the move from Kilmarnock, and Robinson believes the defender brings vital pace to the backline, describing the young centre-half as “very, very quick.”
With departures still possible, Record Sport has revealed that Elfsborg are in talks over a deal for Alexander Jensen, while Debrecen are pursuing Topi Keskinen.
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