Alan Smith - The 29 year old midfielder is the prime candidate for the job of captaincy. He was the regular captain in Newcastle's championship winning season, and is in pole position for the job in my eyes. He is the perfect captain as he is always giving 110% commitment and is also very passionate about the club. He also has experience on his side having made almost 400 club appearances. The downside to Smudger though, is that he can occasionally lose his head in the heat of battle.
Kevin Nolan - Nolan arrived in Newcastle in January of 2009 and was here for the relegation of the team from the Premiership. He could of left us in the summer of 09 to play in the top division as he has undoubted quality and has a proven record at the top level with Bolton Wanderers. He really came to the fore in the Championship and was one of the main driving forces that helped United jump straight back the the promised land. He scored 17 goals last season and proved that he was fit enough by playing in all but 2 games in the league season after question marks about this issue the season before. He also captained the team towards the end of the season when Alan Smith was absent. Being a scouser, he will always bring passion and a huge desire to win.
Steve Harper - The most loyal player to ever play the game in my eyes, sat on the bench behind Shay Given for years, but proved he was one of the best English goalkeepers around last season when he made some fine saves in his 45 appearances most notably one against Sheffield United to preserve the 1-0 lead. Goalkeepers aren't often awarded with the captaincy, and it is unlikely that Hughton will plump for Harper, but he is worth a mention on this list as he has been here for 17 years and is a very senior figure in the camp.
Steven Taylor - Steven is now 24 years of age and has been a regular in the side for a few years now. Last season he did have a few setbacks with injury and Mike Williamson performed admirably in his absence. I expect Steven to go straight back into the team for the trip to Manchester United. He is a Geordie at heart and will put his body on the line for his boyhood club. It is probably too early for him to be considered a captain, especially with the reported falling out with Andy Carroll at the back end of last season. He is definitely a possible captain of the future for the club though having wore the armband for the England under-21's in his career previously.
For me, it is between Alan Smith and Kevin Nolan who Hughton makes captain. All 4 of the players mentioned will be leaders though, both on the pitch and in the dressing room. We are lucky at this football club to have people like this who have so much passion to play for our football club and to make us fans proud of our team. There's nothing better than a player winning a 50/50 tackle to get the crowd and the team going. My choice for captaincy would be Alan Smith for this reason, and the others mentioned above.
Comments welcome.
Smith was captain today, even though Nolan was on the pitch so looks like he'll get the nod. I wouldn't have Smith in my starting 11 though so would prefer to see Nolan get it, he seems a better organiser too and can always be seen shouting instructions and encouragement during games.
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