Matty James says his leadership skills were driven into him while learning his trade in the Manchester United academy after pulling on the captain's armband against West Brom.
The midfielder made his return from a groin injury in the 2-0 victory over the Baggies after a small setback from surgery had kept him sidelined for five matches. City's form suffered during his absence with one victory during that time and Saturday's win at The Hawthorns emphasised the importance of his role in the side.
It was not just his quality on the ball that City missed but also his ability to bring balance and organisation to the midfield which ultimately contributed to a hard-fought clean sheet. That was reflected in the manager's decision to give him the captaincy on the evening with Dan Bentley currently finding himself out of the starting XI.
