Arsenal, England, December 7th 2022: Steph Catley (7 Arsenal) with the ball during the UEFA Womens Champions League game between Arsenal and Juventus at The Emirates in Arsenal, England. (Dylan Clinton/SPP)
Arsenal head coach Renee Slegers has chosen Steph Catley to wear the captain’s armband in the absence of the injured Kim Little.
She led the team out at the Emirates against Chelsea on Saturday, and is set to do so against Bayern Munich on Wednesday evening as the Gunners continue their efforts to defend their UEFA Women’s Champions League title.
And Slegers spoke to journalists about what she called the “captaincy group” within the squad – confirming that two players currently on the injured list are the team’s captains.
“We have two captains: that’s Kim Little and Leah Williamson. And then we have supporting captains: that’s Steph Catley, Katie McCabe and Lotte Wubben-Moy. Those are the players in the captaincy group. Some of them wear the armband. It’s a formality, but it’s an important role to play on the pitch.
“We have so much leadership in the team. It’s really good to work with this team. In the end, it’s everyone. That’s the strength of the team. Everyone is carrying responsibility. Everyone needs to be accountable for things. That’s the culture we want to create.
“Of course, someone has to wear the armband and you have to represent the club in a good way. I’m so proud that we have so many leaders in the team.”
It is unclear how long Little will be absent for, although Slegers said that the midfielder was “progressing” when she updated the media on the current injury list.
Arsenal head coach Slegers: Steph Catley is very calm
And on the specific qualities the Australia international brings to the job, Slegers went on: “What Steph does really well is that she’s always very composed. She’s calm and she role models on everything that we want from the players in the squad.
“She connects really well with all the players in the squad. Younger, older, any background. On the pitch, she’s a great communicator. She’s constantly communicating and instructing and she has a lot of really good leadership qualities.”
Arsenal face Bayern in Germany on Wednesday, with their next match the North London derby against Tottenham Hotspur at Brisbane Road on Sunday, 16th November.
