Why Kyle Walker was chosen to be Man City captain as he opens up on leadership group order

Kyle Walker says he is currently wearing the captain's armband for Manchester City due to his position in last season’s pecking order.

As reported by the Manchester Evening News, the leadership group has been established for this season and Walker has been chosen to skipper the side.

The England full-back, Kevin De Bruyne, Rodri and Ruben Dias all remain from last year’s leadership cohort while Bernardo Silva comes in after former club captain Ilkay Gundogan left for Barcelona in the summer.

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When Gundogan was not on the pitch last term De Bruyne was often handed the armband. In fact, the Belgian led out his side 10 times last campaign and captained the side when he started the opening day win over Burnley before being replaced after 23 minutes due to his long-term injury.

Walker has taken on the duty in his absence, including when De Bruyne did not start in the Community Shield. The defender remains coy about the captaincy situation, though, and played down the significance of who wears the armband.

“There is a captain but I just feel out of respect to everyone that's involved in it, there's no numbers,” said Walker, as per the Daily Mail.

“We're a team and we (the leadership group) are a team inside a team, and whoever wears the armband or has the armband on the day is going to wear the armband until the time is right, until certain members in that captaincy group feel it's right to announce the number or the order.

“That's what we'll do but, until then, I'm wearing the armband because I was the third captain last season and I'll continue