‘Being captain? It’s the nicest job in football!’

There are all sorts of different types of captain in football - so what category does Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang fit into?

The Gabon international took the armband back in 2019 and has since led us to an Emirates FA Cup triumph at Wembley Stadium, but how does he describe his leadership style?

“I’m the coolest captain in the league, maybe in the world!” he said. “To tell the truth I try to be an example, I think that is the most important part of being a captain and trying to inspire the young people in the squad but also the older people as well. I try to give my best and give whatever I can for the club.

“This is the job, when you are the captain, this is the job: you have to take it, to accept it and deal with it. It’s a nice job, it is the nicest job in football. Definitely.

“I think it’s really important [to speak to the team] and I think everyone is expecting me to communicate a lot but I’m a quiet guy, a shy guy, but that’s okay! I try to improve on that and definitely I try to speak, most importantly in the dressing room, I think that is the biggest part for me. I try always to be positive and give support to the guys.”

So how does Auba try to lift the squad when times are tough?

“My door is always open,” he added. “When we struggle, I just like to say a few words to the guys and try to give them positive things in their mind. In my mind, even if it’s just two or three words, this can change something and maybe it’s a good thing.”