Cesc Fabregas has raved about Vincent Kompany during his spell as Manchester City’s captain.
Kompany is not just regarded as one of the greatest centre-backs to have played in the Premier League but is also heralded as one of the best captains, up there with the likes of Keane, Vieira and Terry.
The City legend is associated with the type of leader who put it all on the line for their team; a quality from skippers that has perhaps become a rarity in today’s day and age.
Cesc Fabregas hails Vincent Kompany as a brilliant captain during Manchester City spell
Often, the question several football fans have posed is whether a captain who is more vocal or one who leads by example is the ideal fit to wear the armband.
The Belgian, however, brought both aspects to the table, as he was often spotted marshalling his teammates while also being one of, if not the best player on the pitch week in and week out, regardless of the opposition.
Cesc Fabregas has hailed Vincent Kompany for how he managed to remain an influential captain at Manchester City despite his unfortunate injury record.
“It was even more difficult because if I recall well, he was injured a lot. Normally, when you’re injured a lot, you lose a little bit of that, not respect from the players but normally, even Arsene Wenger used to tell me all the time, a captain needs to be on the pitch as much as possible”, he said on BBC’s Planet Premier League podcast.
“He wasn’t and he was still respected by the whole group and making things happen off the pitch. That’s an interesting one and shows the quality of leader he is.”
Vincent Kompany was truly one of a kind
Cesc Fabregas raises a key point as considering how many games Vincent Kompany missed at City due to his persistent injury woes, it would not have been out of the question for his teammates to start wondering if they should even listen to his instructions.
At the end of the day, Kompany’s availability was largely unreliable at the Etihad Stadium and if a player is unable to get regular playing time due to whatever reason, perhaps those within the dressing room could start questioning their authority.
However, the now-Burnley boss continued to command the utmost respect at Manchester City and it is no coincidence that he donned the armband despite a change in managers with the club continuing to reach newer heights.
