Tyrone Mings has "no issues" with Steven Gerrard's decision to replace him as captain of Aston Villa.
Villa confirmed on Wednesday that John McGinn will skipper the side heading into the 2022-23 campaign, with Emiliano Martinez taking over as vice-captain and Ashley Young named club captain.
Mings had worn the captain's armband since Jack Grealish left for Manchester City last year.
The England international has been a near ever-present in his three seasons at Villa but he faces a fight for a starting spot this term following the arrival of Diego Carlos.
Explaining his decision to change the leadership hierarchy, Gerrard told the club's official website: "John has demonstrated that he is ready to take on the captaincy through his performances on the pitch combined with his attitude and application in training.
"He is a popular member of the dressing room who sets high standards and expectations of himself. Emi is a respected senior member of the squad while Ashley Young's experience speaks for itself and he is the perfect ambassador for the first team.
"Naturally, I have had to have a discussion with Tyrone and have explained my reasons for making this decision. More importantly, I believe that not having the responsibility of the captaincy will allow Tyrone to focus more on his own game which can only benefit him and the team."
Despite more questions being raised over his future following Wednesday's announcement, Mings took to Twitter to say he understands Gerrard's decision.
"For me this isn't about John or I, it's about what’s right for Aston Villa," said Mings, who played in 36 of Villa's 38 Premier League games last term.
"I have no issues with the managers decision; I've loved leading this team. Anyone who knows John McGinn knows how infectious he is and it will be an honour to play underneath his captaincy."
Villa face Rennes in their final pre-season friendly on Saturday ahead of their Premier League opener against Bournemouth the following weekend.
Brazil legend Marta to retire from international football
Brazil star Marta has announced she will retire from international football at the end of 2024.
The 38-year-old is the all-time highest scorer for Brazil, netting 116 goals in 175 matches for the national team.
She is also the top-scorer in the Women’s World Cup with 17 goals, finishing as a runner-up in 2007 when Brazil lost in the final to Germany.
The forward has won three Copa America Femenina titles and was part of the Brazil team that won silver medals at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics.
Marta could make her sixth appearance for Brazil at this year's Games if she is selected in the squad at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
"If I go to the Olympics, I will enjoy every moment, because, regardless of whether I go to the Olympics or not, this is my last year with the national team," Marta told CNN in an interview on Thursday.
"There will be no more Marta from 2025 in the national team as an athlete.
"I am very calm about this because I see with great optimism this development that we are having in relation to young athletes."
Al Hilal 3-1 Al Fateh: Neves on target as Saudi giants close in on title
Al Hilal moved 12 points clear of Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr at the top of the Saudi Pro League as Ruben Neves scored in a 3-1 win over Al Fateh on Friday.
Former Wolves star Neves slotted in from the penalty spot in the 74th minute, as Al Hilal completed a rapid comeback.
Having fallen behind to Lucas Zelarayan's 57th-minute opener, Al Hilal responded swiftly through Micheal before Salem Al Najdi fouled Mohammed Al Qahtani in the penalty area.
Ex-Barcelona winger Cristian Trello and Al Fateh coach Slaven Bilic were booked for their complaints, with Neves making no mistake, paving the way for Ali Al Bulayhi to seal victory in the 15th minute of an extended period of stoppage time.
Data Debrief
Al Hilal have now won 21 games on the spin in the league. They have scored 86 goals across their 28 matches this season, winning 26 in total.
They had 19 shots on Friday, accumulating 2.34 xG to Al Fateh's 0.25, with pass-master Neves creating three chances to go along with his goal.
Pochettino urges Chelsea players to have more self-belief
Mauricio Pochettino has reminded his team to respect themselves as they prepare for another tough game against Aston Villa on Saturday.
After being knocked out of the FA Cup by Manchester City last Saturday, the Blues were thrashed 5-0 by title-chasing Arsenal in midweek for their 11th defeat of the season.
Chelsea still have an outside chance of finishing in the top seven as they sit just three points behind Newcastle United with two games in hand.
Asked if his side are capable of putting the disappointment of their last two results behind them, Pochettino said: “Lack of belief, in the circumstances, sometimes happens.
“We tried to realise how we need to behave when the game is tough when the demands are so high. We need to try and be more strong and to trust in the way that we play, in our philosophy, in the way we prepare the games.
“We need to be positive, and we need to be strong and believe tomorrow we can have a good game, good attitude, good approach. We are going to compete again with another team, fighting for the top. We need to think we are Chelsea and respect ourselves."
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