With the 2026/27 Premier League season under way, we take a look at the club captains for each of the teams for the new campaign.
Arsenal - Martin Odegaard
After initially joining Arsenal on a six-month loan from Real Madrid in January 2021, Odegaard’s move was made permanent that same summer. Mikel Arteta named him as captain ahead of the 2022/23 campaign, and in 2025/26, the Norwegian became only the third player to captain the Gunners to a Premier League title, after Tony Adams (1997/98, 2001/02) and Patrick Vieira (2003/04).
Aston Villa - John McGinn
McGinn joined Aston Villa from Hibernian in 2018, helping the club win promotion to the Premier League in his first season by scoring the winning goal in the playoff final against Derby County. Named captain by Steven Gerrard in 2022, McGinn has since led Villa to four consecutive top-seven finishes and UEFA Europa League success in 2025/26.
AFC Bournemouth - Adam Smith
Smith first joined Bournemouth on loan in 2010/11, when the club were in League One, before returning permanently in 2013/14 when they were in the Championship. Since Smith was handed the armband in 2024/25 by Andoni Iraola, the Cherries have recorded back-to-back club-record finishes (of 9th and 6th) in the Premier League, qualifying for the UEFA Europa League last season.
Brentford - Nathan Collins
At 25 years old, Collins is the youngest of the current captains in the Premier League. Republic of Ireland international Collins, who has also represented Burnley and Wolverhampton Wanderers in the top-flight, took over the Bees' captaincy ahead of the 2025/26 campaign after Christian Norgaard left to join Arsenal.
Brighton & Hove Albion - Lewis Dunk
Dunk has been at Brighton since joining as a youngster in 2003, debuting for the first team back in 2010 when the club were in League One. The 34-year-old has made more than 500 appearances for the Seagulls, only playing for other teams on loan. He was handed the captaincy in 2019 by Graham Potter.
Chelsea - Reece James
James has been at Chelsea since childhood and captained their academy side to FA Youth Cup victory in 2017/18. He was named captain of the senior team following the departure of Cesar Azpilicueta in 2023 and has since led the Blues to UEFA Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup glory.
Coventry - Matt Grimes
After spending more than 10 years with Swansea City, Grimes joined Coventry halfway through the 2024/25 campaign. He was named captain by Frank Lampard at the beginning of the 2025/26 season and led the club back to the Premier League for the first time since 2000/01.
Crystal Palace - Dean Henderson
After spending six consecutive seasons out on loan from parent club Manchester United, Henderson found a home at Crystal Palace in 2023. He was handed the captaincy following Marc Guehi’s switch to Man City in January 2026, and the Eagles won their first European honour, the UEFA Conference League, in May. Henderson is the only goalkeeper to currently captain a Premier League side.
Everton - James Tarkowski
Tarkowski has taken over as Everton captain this season following the retirement of Seamus Coleman, who spent 17 years with the club and had worn the armband since 2019. Since joining Everton from Burnley in 2022, Tarkowski has only missed six Premier League games, playing every single minute of the Toffees' 2022/23 and 2023/24 campaigns.
Fulham - Tom Cairney
Cairney joined Fulham from Blackburn Rover in 2015 and was officially made captain ahead of the 2017/18 campaign, taking over from the retiring Scott Parker, who would later manage him. Cairney has since captained the Cottagers to promotion to the Premier League three times (2017/18, 2019/20 and 2021/22).
Hull City - Lewie Coyle
Coyle joined hometown club Hull from Fleetwood Town in 2020/21 when they were in League One and has gone to make over 200 appearances. He was appointed as captain ahead of the 2022/23 campaign, and last season helped the Tigers return to the Premier League for the first time since 2016/17.
Ipswich Town - Dara O’Shea
O’Shea joined Ipswich from Burnley at the beginning of the 2024/25 campaign and was named captain ahead of their promotion to the Premier League in 2025/26. He didn’t miss a single minute of action last season, completing all 46 of Ipswich’s games in the Championship.
Leeds - Ethan Ampadu
Ampadu joined Leeds from Chelsea in 2023 and was chosen as the successor to long-serving captain Liam Cooper the following year. The club went on to earn promotion to the Premier League in Ampadu’s first season with the armband. The Wales international started 35 of Leeds' 38 league matches last season as they comfortably retained their top-flight status.
Liverpool – Virgil van Dijk
Considered one of the Premier League’s best-ever defenders, Van Dijk joined from Southampton in January 2018 and succeeded Jordan Henderson as the Reds’ captain ahead of the 2023/24 season. He led Liverpool to EFL Cup glory that same season, before winning the Premier League title in 2024/25. The 35-year-old was the only outfield player to play every minute of the 2025/26 Premier League season.
Man City - Ruben Dias
Dias is Man City’s sixth permanent captain since 2019/20, after David Silva, Fernandinho, Ilkay Gundogan, Kyle Walker and Bernardo Silva. Dias, who signed from Benfica in 2020, has won 11 trophies since joining the club, including four Premier League titles in a row between 2020/21 and 2023/24. Enzo Maresca's arrival means that Dias will share captain duties with Erling Haaland, Marc Guehi and Gianluigi Donnarumma as part of City’s four-strong captain’s leadership group for the 2026/27 season.
Man Utd - Bruno Fernandes
Fernandes joined Man Utd from Sporting Lisbon in January 2020 and succeeded Harry Maguire as captain ahead of the 2023/24 campaign, winning the FA Cup in his first season with the armband. Fernandes has started at least 35 league games per season in all six of his full campaigns at Man Utd, and in 2025/26 he broke the Premier League's long-standing assist record by setting up 21 goals.
Newcastle - Dan Burn
Matthias Jaissle named boyhood Newcastle United fan Burn as captain for the 2026/27 campaign following the departure of Bruno Guimaraes. Burn was released by Newcastle at the age of 11 but rejoined the club in 2022 from Brighton. He scored the opening goal against Liverpool in the 2025 EFL Cup final as the Magpies won their first major domestic trophy since 1955.
Nottingham Forest - Ryan Yates
Yates joined Nottingham Forest at the age of eight and has only played elsewhere on loan since. He was central to their return to the Premier League after a 23-year absence in 2021/22. Yates started two Premier League games last season, with Morgan Gibbs-White taking the armband when he was absent.
Sunderland - Granit Xhaka
Xhaka joined Sunderland from Bayer Leverkusen before the 2025/26 campaign after their promotion to the Premier League and was immediately installed as captain by Regis Le Bris. The Black Cats finished seventh on their return and qualified for the UEFA Europa League with a 2-1 victory against Chelsea on the final day of the season.
Spurs - Micky van de Ven
Van de Ven succeeded Cristian Romero as Spurs captain following the Argentinian’s transfer to Atletico Madrid this summer. Van de Ven joined the club from Wolfsburg in 2023 and helped them defeat Man Utd in the 2025 UEFA Europa League final, securing their first major trophy since 2008. He wore the armband for Spurs’ final six matches of 2025/26 before taking on the role permanently.