Former Liverpool star Neil Mellor believes that Jon Flanagan could become a future captain of the Merseyside club, reports the Daily Express.
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The 22-year-old was recently ruled out for the next six to nine months after having surgery on his knee, reported Sky Sports. He had already been in the treatment room since last summer because of a problem in the same area. With the youngster’s contract ending in just over a year this could put his future at Anfield in doubt.
However, despite this Mellor thinks that Flanagan could become a legend for the Reds. An academy product like he was when he broke in to the first team, the defender can play at both left and right-back. It is his brilliant attitude that endears him to supporters though. With Steven Gerrard leaving the club in the summer, they will also be short of players from the local area.
The ex-Liverpool ace said: “He has what Carra had, that desire to win, those leadership qualities. I don’t think it’s stretching it to say that he could be a future captain of the club, because you can’t buy the qualities that Jon has.
“To spend so long out of the first-team picture, and then to come back last season and perform the way he did, in big, big games, shows the mental strength that he has. If you think that Liverpool have already lost Carra, they’re about to lose Stevie this summer, then they need that local connection, that player that relates to the supporters and that represents them on the pitch. And Flanno can be that man.”