It’s not often a player comes into a national side and captains them instantly. However, for Wolves defender Conor Coady he’s had that incredibly rare honour.
The centre-back has captained the side in two of his first five caps for England and is now with the Three Lions during the ongoing European Championships.
Described as “phenomenal” by Old Gold reporter Tim Spiers for that very accomplishment, an impressive tournament could earn him a big move.
That being said, Coady may well struggle for opportunities with Harry Maguire to return from injury and Tyrone Mings ahead of him in the pecking order.
If he does earn a chance and catches the eye, it could provoke Everton to move for him.
After all, with the club strongly considering Nuno Santo as their new manager, Coady has naturally been linked with a move to Goodison Park.
Hailing from Merseyside, the centre-half epitomises what it means to be a leader. He is often seen shouting words of encouragement to his teammates and barking orders at those in the defensive line.
Notoriously, he struggles in a four-man defence but in a three, he is the complete sweeper.
Coady’s numbers don’t particularly do him much justice. He wins just 0.9 tackles and 1.1 aerial battles per game but that’s dictated by his role in the side.
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Often playing in the middle of a three-man defence, it’s the 28-year-old’s role to mop up any loose balls and play the ball forward with his feet.
That’s an area he excels in, completing 88% of his passes this term, a tally only bettered by Yerry Mina of the club’s regular starters.
If Everton do complete a managerial move for Nuno, then it could see the duo reunited in a feared combination.
Speaking about the Portuguese manager last year, Coady commented: “He brought in a vision & he talked about a project [at Wolves]. The way he wants to play he makes it so easy for everybody to listen to him and pick up his ideas. That's the biggest thing I can say. As a manager he’s amazing and what he has done for this club has been absolutely incredible.”
That’s a ringing endorsement for Everton supporters and with Coady clearly a player that Nuno trusts, this could be quite the duo for the Toffees heading into next season.
The England international isn’t the most terrifying of players but his leadership qualities are second to none in the Premier League. He’d be a superb addition for that reason alone.