Jamaal Lascelles
He’s young, but he’s already shown that he’s ready to take a leadership role. He blasted his teammates for lacking character on the pitch back in April. This outburst was backed by Rafa Benitez.
Lascelles knows that his young face and somewhat inexperienced abilities will be looked down on by some teammates. But he knew when to take control and step up his role as a leader and someone that the players can look to for honest feedback.
Towards the end of the season, Lascelles looked to have proven himself as a strong centre-back and can work nicely with Chancel Mbemba. With Fabricio Coloccini soon to be out the door, the club is going to need someone like Lascelles to fill the open spot.
Even if he doesn’t get the starting position, you can expect Lascelles to be prepared to do whatever it takes to show that he’s a good defender. And sometimes, you know, the best leaders aren’t always the best players. But when they can command respect of their peers and teammates, it creates a unified dressing room.
Next: Ayoze Perez