Tottenham name Cristian Romero as captain after Son's departure

London, Aug 13 (IANS) Cristian Romero has been named as the new Tottenham Hotspur captain by Thomas Frank following the departure of Heung-Min Son. The South Korean left the North-London side for Los Angeles FC in the MLS.

'Cuti' was appointed the vice-captain alongside James Maddison in August, 2023 and now takes over the armband. "Becoming the first captain of this beautiful club is an incredible honour. I arrived here four years ago with a single dream: to write my name into the club’s history and leave my mark by winning a trophy, and I achieved that," Romero shared on X.

"Now, a new journey is in front of us. A beautiful season lies ahead, and together we will work to relive the joy of that unforgettable day, May 21, 2025. Whatever happens along the way, I ask only one thing: stay united. There will be highs and lows, but together, nothing is impossible," he added.

Tottenham is currently in Udine, Italy, ahead of the UEFA Super Cup against PSG at Stadio Friuli on Thursday (IST). Thomas confirmed the decision ahead of the clash. He will name his leadership group following the close of the summer transfer window.

"I had a good conversation with Cuti Romero, and he’s going to be our captain. He was very honoured and very happy about it. It’s a big thing and should be to lead this wonderful club out on the pitch, not just for this Super Cup, but also throughout the season. I think he has all the right qualities. He leads from his behaviour on the pitch, driving the team forward in every way, and outside the pitch he’s always pushing the team.

"I want a leadership group as well. Of course, one will wear the armband and be the captain, but I would like to have as many leaders as possible, four to five in the leadership group who can help, because it’s the same with me, I can’t do everything on my own and need a superb coaching staff around me. I will name that leadership group after the window to give me time to assess everything,’ said Thomas to Spurs media.

World Cup winner Cuti, 27, joined Spurs from Atalanta in the summer of 2021, having just been named 'Best Defender' in Serie A in 2020/21. He is now up to 100 appearances for the side in all competitions, and his central defensive partnership with Micky van de Ven was key in their UEFA Europa League triumph last season

--IANS

aaa/bc