The
captain's armband at Rotherham is looking for a new permanent home
after last season's skipper Craig Morgan chose to seek pastures new this summer.
Morgan
was an inspired leader at the Millers, captaining the side to two
promotions before leading from the front at the back end of last term
to ensure Championship survival was guaranteed.
Boss
Steve Evans has no shortage of options for Morgan's replacement as he
has assembled a squad with an exciting mixture of youthful exuberance
and vast experience.
Here
we assess five potential candidates for the role of skipper during
the 2015/16 season campaign.
Danny
Collins
Collins
will be 35 by the time the season kicks off and he has been there and
done it during a lengthy career which has seen him win international
honours for Wales. A natural leader and club captain at Nottingham
Forest, the centre-back will marshal the defence, win his headers and
make vital clearances. He's likely to be one of Evans' first-choice
central pairings and the Millers boss knew what he was getting when
he signed him, saying: “His references were impeccable in terms of
his fitness, hunger and desire it all shone like a beacon of light in
the ocean and that attracted me to him. The
main thing is that he’s hungry and he likes what we’re trying to
do here so he’ll come in and play a major part.” It
seems very possible that the armband could be heading Collins' way.
Richie
Smallwood
Last
season's player of the year is the front runner to get the job after
wearing the armband on several occasions last term. The tenacious and
whole-hearted manner in which Smallwood plays makes his an obvious
choice, and if last season is anything to go by then he will
certainly lead by example. He will be a regular starter, having made
32 consecutive appearances last year, and probably the first name on
Evans' teamsheet. If he doesn't get the gig this season, surely it
will only be a matter of time until he does.
Lee
Frecklington
After
the exits of Morgan, Ben Pringle and Kari Arnason this summer,
Frecklington is now the club's longest serving player and he too wore
the armband on several occasions last season and the season before.
Frecklington's problem is that he is not guaranteed a start following
the signing of Grant Ward, who has made a fine early impression in
pre-season. But when he does play he is a vital cog in the wheel with
his box-to-box energy and his surging runs forward bringing an extra dimension to the attack. He's popular in the dressing room and on the
terraces and would not let anyone down.
Tom
Thorpe
This
would be a left-field choice given Thorpe's lack of first-team
experience – he has only played seven games and he is 22. But
coming through the ranks at Manchester United he has one of the best
footballing educations possible. He has experience of captaining
under pressure, having led United's under-21 team through a season
and Evans thinks he is the full package. “This young man has
everything that is good with the modern day footballer. He has
height, strength, speed, awareness and technical ability. There
is no doubt that this lad for me is exceptional.” Evans may be
reluctant to hand him the armband at such an early stage in his Millers career, so consider him an outsider.
Danny
Ward
Another
outside contender, but big things are expected of Ward this season
and the armband could potentially help bring the best out of him. If
he can keep himself fit, he is likely to lead the line with Matt
Derbyshire and be the focal point of attack. His versatility – he
can play in the hole or on either flank – means he is always likely
to be around the side and at 24 he is nearing his peak. Evans has
never selected a striker as a captain in his three seasons at
Rotherham, but Ward has potential to be the first.
