KENNY JACKETT ON PICKING HIS NEW CAPTAIN Head coach Kenny Jackett today insisted there were plenty of challengers in the Wolves squad to be his captain. The club are set to lose five players this summer – if you include Kevin Doyle, who skippered the side from March – who have captained the side in the recent past. Roger Johnson, Karl Henry and Stephen Ward have been placed on the transfer list this week, with Christophe Berra already departed after being handed a free transfer. Jackett acknowledges he is losing a lot of experience in those players. The 51-year-old has spent the first week of pre-season training assessing the players but is in no rush to appoint a successor to Doyle. He refuses to rule out his choice of skipper could be a new signing – Luke Murphy captains Crewe, while 31-year-old Sam Ricketts has bags of experience. But Jackett is happy there is enough leadership qualities within the ranks he has inherited, although he is is painfully aware of the changing dynamic he is creating this summer. He will also be mindful that the dressing room was never the same after Mick McCarthy took the armband off Henry and gave it to Johnson. Terry Connor gave it back to Henry, who remained skipper under Stale Solbakken, but with two vice-captains in Ward and Doyle. Jackett doesn’t intend making the same mistake as McCarthy. One thing he intends to do is appoint his captain and stick to it. Te head coach, who skippered Watford on occasions, said: "It would be nice in pre-season to make it one captain when I do make that decision. “There is a lot of experience there – four guys who have been captain. But it’s a new era here now. " think everyone would agree with my assessment that changes need to be made and it needs to be a more vibrant Wolves side, and I’m sure that will go alongside the captaincy. “Experience is needed but there are some good young players here. They won’t be enough just on their own, but they do need an opportunity and I think they are good enough to take it.” At 22, some may say Danny Batth would represent a gamble as skipper. But anyone who knows him or has seen him play sees his leadership qualities. While recognising those, Jackett also highlights other contenders. He said: “In his position of central defender, you get more captains than anywhere else. It’s a good, central position in the team to be a captain which helps. “But there’s the likes of George Elokobi, Kevin Foley, Richard Stearman, Dave Edwards – these guys are not necessarily youngsters with no experience. “Wayne Hennessey is coming back, so there are quite a number with a high level of experience.”
Posted on: Sat, 29 Jun 2013 11:05:57 +0000
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