Bohemians will rotate the captaincy after Keith Long denied that Tyreke Wilson was axed as skipper.
The left-back has worn the armband on five occasions this season, with midfielder Jordan Flores leading the team in two other games that Wilson did not play in.
But at the Showgrounds on Tuesday, they both started the 1-0 win over Sligo Rovers with Flores, 26, the designated captain.
The switch generated plenty of social media discussion amongst Bohemians supporters in the minutes leading up to kick-off.
What appeared to be a demotion for Wilson, 22, came just four days after Bohs boss Long ripped into his defenders for the late implosion in Friday’s defeat to Derry City.
And after that Dalymount game, Wilson - who had been skipper - admitted he wasn’t the most vocal player in the dressing room but let his football do the talking.
But quizzed about the change of captain in Sligo, Long told Mirror Sport: “This is interesting because I haven't officially named a captain.
“Tyreke has worn the armband and Jordan Flores has worn it. I don't want to burden players with the weight of the armband.
“Tyreke's comments were probably misunderstood a little bit. He didn't demean the symbolism of the captaincy or the role a captain plays.
“What he meant was that you can lead by example in different ways. That's absolutely the way it was meant and people can read into whatever way they want.”
Long continued: “There are academic studies on captaincies, the stereotypical leaders like Roy Keane cajoling and barking at people around the pitch.
“And there’s also leading by example in terms of performances. There are different ways to lead and different captains leading in different ways.”
Keith Buckley had been Bohs captain but left the club over the close-season as he wanted to move to Australia with his partner.
And vice-captain Rob Cornwall also left - for America - in a double-whammy for the Gypsies leadership.
Long said: “We want 11 captains on the pitch and I know that's a bit of a cliche, but we're not relying on one particular player.
“Young men are different now. The dynamic in the dressing room has changed. You're dealing with different personalities and you have to treat them slightly differently.
“They’re a little bit quieter than when I played, for example. It takes a while for leaders to grow.
“Tyreke is an experienced player and has played a lot for us since coming back from Manchester City, but he's still young.
“Jordan Flores is one of our most experienced players and is vocal on the pitch. His performances will continue to get better as he gets more games under his belt.
“Maybe the captaincy armband is a little overplayed but we need everyone rowing in. I don't want the captaincy to weigh heavily on any particular player. I want 11 captains.”
Long added: “We lost our captain and vice-captain over the close season, so I'm easy with sharing the load and passing the responsibility on as we go.
“It just happens to be Tyreke and Jordan at the moment and I think Tyreke's performance in Sligo has maybe answered one or two critics.”
