Manchester United manager Louis Van Gaal has announced that Wayne Rooney will be the club’s captain for the upcoming season, with Darren Fletcher named vice-captain.
Rooney will take over from Nemanja Vidic, who left United for Inter Milan this summer and will lead the side this Saturday when they face Swansea in their first Premier League match of the new season.
Van Gaal, 63, explained why believes the 28-year-old striker is the right man to take the armband. He told the club’s official website: “For me it’s always very important, the choice of captain. Wayne has shown a great attitude towards everything he does.
“I have been very impressed by his professionalism and his attitude to training and to my philosophy.
“He is a great inspiration to the younger members of the team and I believe he will put his heart and soul into his captaincy role.”
Rooney signed a four-year deal worth £300k a week in February this year which will keep him at the club until 2018.
He has scored 216 goals and is currently third in United’s all-time goal-scorers behind Bobby Charlton and Denis Law.
“It is a huge honour for me – and for my family – to be named captain of this great club. It is a role I will perform with great pride,” said the England international.
“Team spirit has always been very high in our dressing room and I am very grateful to the manager for the faith he has shown in me. I look forward to leading the team out on Saturday at our first match of the new season.”
New vice-captain Fletcher’s appointment comes just 18-months after the Scottish international’s career was in doubt, after suffering from chronic bowel disease Ulcerative colitis and only returned to full fitness in December.
United boss Van Gaal said: “Darren Fletcher will become the vice-captain. Darren is a natural leader and will captain the team when Wayne isn’t playing. Darren is a very experienced player and a very popular member of the dressing room, I know he will work well alongside Wayne.”
The news came as Manchester United beat Spanish side Valencia 2-1 in their last pre-season friendly thanks to a Marouane Fellaini stoppage time winner, after Rodgrigo Morena cancelled out Fletcher’s opener.