Jan Vertonghen was apparently overlooked for the Tottenham Hotspur captaincy following negative feedback from his teammates over his leadership material.
The Belgian had been tipped to replace the departed Michael Dawson as Spurs skipper, but manager Mauricio Pochettino gave the armband to his defensive partner Younes Kaboul last month.
Hugo Lloris and Emmanuel Adebayor were named Kaboul's deputies, and The Telegraph claims that it was after consultation with the Spurs squad that Pochettino decided to leave Vertonghen out of the picture.
The 27-year-old's commitment was questioned during Tim Sherwood's tenure last season and, although he has insisted that he is happy under Pochettino, he has recently rejected a new contract.
Vertonghen, whose current deal at White Hart Lane runs until 2018, has made 86 appearances for Spurs since joining from Ajax for £12m in 2012, and has started their last two Premier League games.
Joe Fish
