Fernandinho has given advice to the next Manchester City captain as he aims to continue the success of the club after his departure.
The Brazilian midfielder has had the armband at the Etihad for the last two seasons, taking over from David Silva in 2020 and overseeing two Premier League title wins to add to the many medals he has from his nine years as a City player. However, the 37-year-old had decided by February this year that he had to leave if he wanted to carry on his dream of playing for at least another two years.
It is testament to the service he gave to the club that even when deciding on his own future he was thinking about what comes next at City, telling teammates Ederson and Kayky at a dinner at his home: "Something else worries me. I won't say I'm losing sleep over it, but one thing that has me worried a lot is the question of preparing the next captain for you."
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Fernandinho will not reveal in front of the cameras making a documentary about his final months at City who that will be, but at the end shares his advice as to what is needed from whoever takes over the armband from him. "This is my diary to the future captain of Manchester City," he starts. A record of what I've learned, what I wish I knew before.
"You will have your own characteristics. Every captain is different. Every person is different. But some things are universal.
"You will learn when to speak, when to be quiet, when to demand more, when to show support, when to hug, and when to tell them off. To push your teammates to the best level. This is the biggest challenge as captain. this experience comes with time.
"The most important thing is to be together, especially during the hard times. Good luck, I will be watching!"
With Fernandinho's departure, the next longest-serving player in the squad is Raheem Sterling but he is set to leave for Chelsea this summer. Kevin De Bruyne is the next with the most experience, although Ilkay Gundogan and Ruben Dias were both ahead of him in the group of five captains last season.
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