The Dons have been left with a massive void to fill after skipper Graeme Shinnie turned down a new contract and decided to return to Inverness for the new season.
10:30, 01 Jul 2026
Stephen Robinson celebrates at full-time with Dons skipper Graeme Shinnie
Stephen Robinson celebrates at full-time with Dons skipper Graeme Shinnie(Image: SNS Group)
Aberdeen boss Stephen Robinson has revealed he is likely to copy Arsenal's approach of having four or five captains for his team next season.
The Dons have a huge void to fill after Graeme Shinnie, who skippered the side to Scottish Cup glory last year, turned down a new contract and returned to Inverness.
Shinnie coped with the enormity of the job, but Robinson now wants to create a leadership group that can shoulder the strain, something English champions Arsenal have done.
Norway's Martin Odegaard is the captain but underneath him he has England duo Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka, Brazil's Gabriel, and Spaniard Mikel Merino, writes Record Sport.
Robinson acknowledged: "Graeme Shinnie was quite unique in that he was able to fulfil all the facets of being a captain. He could run the dressing room.
"He could pass on the tactical messages on the pitch and he did a lot off the pitch for the football club as well. You don’t often get that and I don’t believe one single person should be lumbered with it on their own.
"So we’ll have a group of four or five people who run the boys and over time, once we have had a good look at everyone, we’ll appoint a club captain.
"But behind him there will be four or five people supporting - that’s running the dressing-room, carrying out the information on the pitch, looking after players off the pitch and doing stuff to help the club.
Mikel Arteta led Arsenal to Premier League glory
Mikel Arteta led Arsenal to Premier League glory(Image: Getty)
"That’s a job for more than one person. Arsenal do it, they have four or five who represent all aspects of the club."
The Aberdeen manager is currently putting his team through their paces in their training camp in the Netherlands.
They will round off their camp with a friendly against FC Twente on Saturday. He has still to make a decision as to who will take the armband.
Vice-captain Nicky Devlin and new signing Brad Lyons wore it in their first pre-season game against Cove Rangers, while Kevin Nisbet also had it at the end of last campaign.
Mats Knoester could also come into the equation, while Kristers Tobers, the Latvian national captain, is also returning to full fitness.
Robinson claimed: "Society has changed now, the days of a captain shouting and screaming, kicking doors down to get their point across are long gone.
"We have to move with the times and having a group overseeing the dressing-room is the best way to do that."
Brad Lyons in action for Aberdeen
Brad Lyons in action for Aberdeen(Image: SNS Group)
Lyons was captain at Kilmarnock before his summer move north. Robinson also believes his fellow Northern Irishman will give Aberdeen some much-needed steel and dig in the middle of the park.
"Brad will bring a vast amount of experience from his time at Kilmarnock and also as a Northern Ireland international," Robinson stated.
"He’s a very underrated player, he does the dirty bit of the game very well - winning headers and winning tackles. He’s a strong, strong boy and when I looked at our midfield last season I felt we missed that.
"We didn’t have enough physicality in the middle of the pitch, we got pushed around way too much so that’s something we needed to address.
"Brad doesn’t get enough credit for his technical ability, he will give us real forward running power. He’s a leader so will give us a big help on that side of things."
The Pittodrie recruitment drive was to bring more steel and physicality into their ranks. They have done that with the signings of Lyons, Alexander Briedl, Dan Happe, Toyosi Olusanya, Ayoub Mouloua, Connor Ronan, Tony Yogane and Lewis Mayo.
Mayo has joined Lyons in making the move from Killie. Robinson believes the defender will bring pace to the Dons’ backline.
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He admitted: "Lewis has a lot of potential, he is still young for a centre half and adds versatility to the squad. He brings something we didn’t have enough of at the back last season which is pace. He is very, very quick."