Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka has insisted that he would "never say never" to the opportunity to captain the club again.
The former Borussia Monchengladbach man was handed the armband for the 2019-20 season under Unai Emery after Laurent Koscielny departed in acrimonious circumstances.
Xhaka had spent three years in the English capital by that point but endured a difficult relationship with the Gunners fanbase, which came to a head during a meeting with Crystal Palace in October 2019.
The Switzerland skipper's substitution was met with cheers in the 2-2 draw, and he responded by mouthing profanities towards the hostile home crowd while also cupping his ear towards the fans.
Xhaka's outburst saw him stripped of the captaincy by Emery as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang took control, and the Swiss midfielder was widely expected to leave in the January transfer window.
However, Mikel Arteta persuaded Xhaka to stay on, despite the midfielder recently admitting that he was on the verge of leaving, and he has earned the trust of the Spaniard over the past couple of years.
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With Aubameyang also stripped of the captaincy last year and current skipper Alexandre Lacazette expected to leave on a free transfer, Arteta must decide on a new captain for the 2022-23 season onwards.
When asked by Sky Sports News if he would take on the captain's responsibility again, Xhaka said: "I will never say never. I was not ready for that again.
"A captain of Arsenal can be without an armband and I am trying to lead the game and the players without the armband, but if tomorrow someone from the football club comes and asks if I want to take it I will be here because I know I am ready again to do it.
"After this happened people were telling me this is not hate but for me this was absolutely hate. I know what hate is and I know what is love and what is between this. This was not in between, it was not love. It was hate.
"I have had very positive feedback from the fans and from social media and I was very proud of myself. You don't get a lot of players talking about this, being very open, they are scared for the future.
"For me, it was the perfect time. You still have people that say you won't change our opinion but that is fine, the most important thing is how I feel and that is very good."
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As well as Xhaka, Martin Odegaard and Kieran Tierney are thought to be two leading candidates to take over from Lacazette as captain, with the former already leading the Norway national team.
Xhaka's six-year spell at Arsenal has seen him rack up 245 appearances for the North London club in all competitions, winning two FA Cups and two Community Shields in that time.
The ex-Basel man has scored 14 goals and set up 22 more in that time since being signed by Arsene Wenger, with one of those goals and two of those assists coming in 22 Premier League games this season.
Xhaka has been sent off five times in his Arsenal career, though, with his disciplinary record often seeing him receive mixed reviews from Arsenal fans.
The 29-year-old extended his Arsenal stay until the summer of 2024 last year, but Jose Mourinho's Roma are still being credited with an interest in the midfielder.
Ben Knapton
