Who Will Be Germany's Next National Team Captain?

Manuel Neuer, Bastian Schweinsteiger or perhaps even Thomas Müller: who will be the next captain of Germany? Ahead of Joachim Löw's nomination of a national team captain on Tuesday, we analyze some of the favorites.

Ahead of Germany's international friendly against Argentina, the German team is gathering in Düsseldorf. This time though, it's not just about handing out new kit, a city walk and a few public training sessions.



Not only is Joachim Löw still on the lookout for a new assistant coach, there's also the small matter of the next national team captain. After Philipp Lahm's resignation after the World Cup in Brazil a successor has still not been named.



Now, things are starting to get serious again. Even if the game against Argentina on Wednesday (03.09.2014) doesn't mean much, at the latest by this Saturday when Germany meet Scotland in their first European Championships qualifier, Germany is going to need a captain to start leading them towards EURO 2016 in France.



The heir apparent



Bastian Schweinsteiger is the player that most people would expect to take over the captain's armband. He has often stepped in as captain before in the past for the German team and everyone agrees he's a great leader on the pitch. And, former national team Franz Beckenbauer has also come out and publicly supported Schweinsteiger as captain.



Any doubts that fans had about Schweinsteiger's fitness basically disappeared during the World Cup, as the 30-year-old got stronger and stronger as the tournament progressed despite being constantly under attack in Germany's midfield.



But, he still can be a bit fragile, as is shown by the recent injury he picked up on Bayern's pre-season tour of the US. And his fitness isn't likely to improve either, since he has crossed the wrong side of 30. Schweinsteiger won't be playing against Argentina due to his current foot injury, so even if he is made captain, he won't be captaining on Wednesday.



The next Oliver Kahn?



There's no doubting that Manuel Neuer is the best goalkeeper in the world at the moment, but could he also be captain of the number one ranked team? At 28 years of age, barring major injury, Neuer is likely to be playing for Germany for quite some time to come. That, plus his leadership qualities, makes him another strong candidate for the job.



"If the coach thinks I could do it, then I will," Neuer said ahead of Germany's game against Argentina. Critics that think goalkeepers don't make good captains, should note that Oliver Kahn lead Germany over 50 times. Still, it's clear that the next few days are going to be used by Germany's management to work out how much each candidate wants the job.



"I need to find out, in discussions, just exactly what the situation is," Neuer let slip, before saying that he doesn't want to push himself into the limelight on the issue.



Hummels or Khedira?



Dortmund defender Mats Hummels has recently taken over the armband at his club, replacing Sebastien Kehl in the job, so he's clearly got some leadership potential. Hummels is seen as a crucial member of Germany's back four at the moment and there's no doubt that Germany play considerably better with him, than without. With Per Mertesacker recently retiring, 25-year-old Hummels is one of the most experienced players in the national team backline too.



Defensive midfielder Sami Khedira is also a candidate for the captaincy role. Like Schweinsteiger, he plays a crucial role in the center of the pitch for Germany and is pretty much a certain starter for the national team.



Although he's two years younger than Schweinsteiger and seems a little fresher, like Schweini, Khedira has injury concerns. Long absences by the captain are something that will disrupt Germany in their progression through the next couple of years of pre-EURO preparation. And, being based in Spain with Real Madrid, it may not be as easy for the German Football Association to meet and communicate with Khedira as they would like.



A dark horse



But, there's still one surprise candidate who is getting a lot of support from fans: Thomas Müller. He's not just a master chef, a part-time comedian and top goal scorer, many pundits believe that Thomas Müller has got what it takes to take on the captaincy role.



In the World Cup final against Argentina, he's said to have given André Schuerrle a gee up, ahead of Schürrle's crucial run down the left flank which won the game for Germany. Still some may think that he's better served as a free-roaming, attacking spirit in the team, rather than getting all serious as captain.



Also, Müller is said to have admitted privately that he's "not too keen" to take on the role.



But surely, if he gets the offer, it would be too good to refuse? After all, with a young core of players and a World Cup title under their belt, this German team could be set for a golden era. To be captain at that time would be something that would give the next captain hero status amongst German football fans.