With Martin Laursen now sadly retired - Villa manager Martin O'Neill faces a big decision on who takes up the role of club captain next season.

The natural choice would of course be Gareth Barry, the midfielder who had held the role prior to the infamous Liverpool saga of last summer.

He has also been a perfect stand-in since the big Dane sustained his career destroying injury in January and Barry is undoubtedly the No1 contender for the role.

But, as everyone knows, the England midfielder will again be the subject of speculation about his future throughout pre-season with the likelihood remaining that he will leave the club.

And should those predictions become reality, O'Neill will to need to pick a new leader from his current squad. Here is the Villa-MAD shortlist for the next Villa skipper.

Curtis Davies

The former West Brom man has shouldered the responsibility of leading the team before and with age on his side Davies could be an ideal candidate.

However, the 24 year old has been experiencing what can only be called a crisis of confidence of late and his place in the first team really is being called into question.

O'Neill may well choose to sign two new centre halves meaning Davies will have to settle for a place on the bench and you can't skipper from there can you?

Class Captain? No


Luke Young

Tenacious, tireless and flexible. Those three words epitomise Luke Young this season as he has not only been a model of defensive stability but he has also made an unaccustomed position (left-back) his own.

Young has set the standard for others to follow and his never say die attitude has filtered through to his teammates during a number of tough fixtures.

You only have to look at Middlesbrough's current league position and defensive record to see how the loss of Young has affected them.

Whether he is a natural, vocal leader could be the only sticking point in his captaincy claims.

Class Captain? Yes


Stiliyan Petrov

Villa Players Player of the Year and Supporters Player of the Year says it all.
The Bulgarian provides a perfect foil for Barry and his passing is simply immaculate.

Like Luke Young, Petrov is a rather quiet figure on the pitch but he lets his football do the talking and with his position at the hub of the team he is a real contender for the captaincy.

The former Celtic man also has a wealth of experience at his disposure which will be taken into consideration because of the low average age of the Villa squad.

Class Captain? Yes


James Milner

The hardworking right winger has really impressed since completing a summer move from Newcastle and with experience of captaining the England Under 21's he could be a candidate for the same role at club level.

Although he does not appear to be a natural leader, Milner's work ethic and stamina set the standard and he has the advantage of a youthful outlook on his side. But it's probably just too early for him to become the leader of the side.

Class Captain? Not yet


John Carew

This man has become a terrace hero since he joined Villa from Lyon in 2007. The fans love him and you would hear no complaints should he replace Laursen as skipper.

But, just like the Dane, Carew has suffered plenty of injuries throughout his career and you have to wonder whether he can play in the majority of games during next year.

Stability is a key element when it comes to leading a side and if Carew is sitting in the stands for half of the season he cannot exert his powerful influence.
An early season issue involving a lap dancing club and a late night may just rule out the big man.

Class Captain? No