Fernandinho has been elected as new Manchester City captain by the rest of the squad and backroom staff.
The Brazil international, who was handed a one-year contract extension after impressing as a stand-in centre back last season, has inherited the armband from the departed David Silva.
The 35-year-old was picked out by his teammates after last season being one of the “assistant” captains, along with Sergio Aguero and Kevin De Bruyne.
Fernandinho could start as City kick-off the new Premier League season at Wolves, with Aymeric Laporte out injured – he was first choice in the same circumstance last season.
He was on-field captain in the absence of Silva last season but now has the job full time.
Silva was hardly a fist-pumping, inspirational, demonstrative leader, like his predecessor Vincent Kompany, preferring to quietly lead by example, and Guardiola expects Fernandinho to be similar.
“He will be good, as he always has done since I met him,” said the manager after revealing the identity of the new skipper.
“Sometimes I have captains, it doesn’t matter with the armband, being the first captain, he is always a guy who leads in the bad moments.
“We decided in the locker room - the players, the backroom staff - we decided that Fernandinho is captain and I am more than delighted with that.”
In recent years, City have had a group of five senior players acting as captains, with a set hierarchy.
It is not clear whether that number remains the same, or whether it is now down to Fernandinho, Aguero and De Bruyne.
