'I expect him to be captain': Aston Villa star backed to lead his country by Arsenal ace

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With his national team in transition, one of Aston Villa’s most in-form players could find himself donning the captain’s armband during the upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures.

He has captained his country twice before. Most recently in a 0-0 draw with the Republic of Ireland back in March.

In fact, Youri Tielemans also skippered the Belgium national side against Ireland in 2022 as well. Another game which ended in a draw. Quite the coincidence.

But, with the Rote Duivels due to face Italy on Thursday and then France on Monday, the Aston Villa playmaker will be hoping that – if he is given the armband once again – it will be a classic case of ‘third time lucky’ with Tielemans hoping to captain Belgium to victory at last.

Aston Villa’s Youri Tielemans backed to take Belgium captaincy by Arsenal ace

With Kevin de Bruyne injured, Romelu Lukaku unavailable and Jan Vertongthen having announced his international retirement after Euro 2024, Tielemans is now a senior figure in a transitional Belgium side.

In fact, the only outfield player older than him in Domenico Tedesco’s selection is Arsenal winger Leandro Trossard. With 72, Tielemans is also comfortably the most capped member of the current squad.

And, speaking at his pre-Italy press conference, Trossard backs Tielemans to lead the team out at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico.

“I expect Youri to be captain,” says Trossard, older than Tielemans but a later arrival to the international stage. “I think he’s been there the longest.”

“There are enough players who have been around for a while,” agrees Maxim De Cuyper, who plies his trade for Belgian giants Club Brugge.

“Youri Tielemans is someone who can take [the captaincy] on and I expect him to do so. He has that profile. But there are several boys in the group who can be a leader, and they also show in training that it is in them.

“I am not worried about that.”

Tielemans credits Unai Emery for Aston Villa revival

Tielemans started both of Belgium’s opening Nations League fixtures, scoring in the 3-1 victory over Israel.

After a hit-and-miss debut season at Villa Park, meanwhile, the former Leicester City talisman is rediscovering the form that once put him amongst the premiere playmakers in European football.

With Amadou Onana providing the foundations in behind, Tielemans has been freed up to do what he does best at Aston Villa with three assists in his nine appearances so far in 2024/25.

And, as Douglas Luiz struggles to win over the critics at Juventus, there is an argument to be made that Villa’s midfield looks stronger now than it did before the Brazilian’s £42 million departure.

"The manager was selling me this idea of playing Champions League and I really bought into it. And that's one of the reasons I signed,” Tielemans said recently; the one-time Monaco ace played the full 90 minutes as Aston Villa stunned Bayern Munich thanks to Jhon Duran’s heroics off the bench.

"The fact that we got the Champions League after my first year here is earlier than expected. But the fact that we are here means that we're doing well and we need to carry on in this way.

“[Emery] improves you as a player. I think his tactical analysis of the game is just first-class. He can really sell it to you, like I said he sold me his project. The fact that he can do that on the footballing stage is what we want as footballers.

“And that's what is really exciting about him."