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Football.London journalist James Benge has written an article on who should be the next permanent Arsenal captain after current skipper Laurent Koscielny.

What’s he said, then?

Koscielny’s contract at the Emirates Stadium is due to run out at the end of next season and at the ripe old age of 33 and becoming more and more injury prone, he may not be offered a new one.

In that case, a new full-time captain would need to be appointed in north London to follow in the Frenchman’s footsteps and one would feel that it has to be a member of Unai Emery’s current squad.

Picking out Spanish right-back Hector Bellerin as the man for the job, here’s what Benge had to say:

“The man to lead Arsenal into that new era, then, is Hector Bellerin.”

Absolutely right

On this occasion, Benge has got one of his bold claims correct although a large portion of Gooners tended to disagree with him on the brave call.

The Gunners need a fresh, youthful face to help usher in the Emery era, which began last summer and didn’t enjoy the best of first seasons. Bellerin is certainly that.

The 24-year-old has been at the club long enough now to know it inside-out having joined as a teenager, so that’s not an issue. Bellerin is also fantastic role model on and off the pitch for the millions of young Arsenal fans, and it would be hard to see him not doing a wonderful job as skipper at the Emirates.