Head coach Steve Cooper has praised academy duo Joe Worrall and Ryan Yates for the way they have taken on the positions of Nottingham Forest captain and vice-captain.
With Worrall - who had captained the team while Lewis Grabban was injured last season - having to settle for a place on the bench in recent weeks, it is his midfield teammate who has been leading out the team. Yates put in a standout display last weekend as the Reds toppled Liverpool at the City Ground, and has been one of the team's most consistent performers of late.
Cooper places much emphasis on the leadership roles. And whether they are in or out of the XI, he says the pair have been setting the right example.
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“You look at Ryan and Joe… and it was not a sentimental decision because of their story of coming through the academy," the Forest boss said of assigning the armband in the summer, following the departure of previous skipper Grabban. "Although that did have an impact because of all the new players who came in, so I knew them as good as any of the others after last season.
“But then you see them for what they are worth and what they stand for. They are good club men. Joe has still been a good captain, even though he hasn’t been in the team in recent weeks.
“I value the role of captain and vice-captain, senior players - any player really, because you want them to have an impact in every way, shape or form. But particularly captains and vice-captains, they need to do more than just wear the armband. They need to be there every day - even days off - available for the club.
“That’s what I felt those two were ready to do. Hopefully, over time, they will prove to be a positive choice.”
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