WEYMOUTH assistant-manager Paul Maitland admitted the club have not yet finalised who will be their new captain for the upcoming campaign, with players urged to earn the right to wear the armband during pre-season.
The Terras kick off their run of friendly fixtures against rivals Yeovil Town at the Bob Lucas Stadium this evening (7.45pm), and could come up against former skipper Stephane Zubar, who left the club for the Glovers last month.
While Maitland insists whoever takes over as skipper full-time will “have a lot to live up to” he is looking for a number of players to step up and show their leadership qualities.
Speaking ahead of tonight’s clash, he told Echosport: “The captaincy issue is clear – we haven’t made any decisions as yet and we will take pre-season to look at one or two people.
“We spoke with the players on Saturday after training and said the position was open. Whether they have been at the club for a long period of time, or have just arrived, it doesn’t matter to us.
“It’s about who has the right qualities to lead the team on and off the pitch.
“You don’t have to be someone who shouts and screams but you have to be able to organise people. That’s key for the role.
“Whoever it is will have a lot to live up to.”
While it is not confirmed whether Zubar will feature for the Glovers this evening, Maitland is hopeful that, should he turn out against Weymouth, he will get a warm welcome.
“On the Zubar situation, I have read and seen a lot of things and I would like to think that people will give him a good reception,” he added.
“He took the decision he made (to join Yeovil) with his family in mind. It was a chance to go back into full-time football and I think it’s important that people respect that.
“I hope he doesn’t play too well, obviously! But I hope he gets a good reception. We are still in contact with Zubes and he holds the Weymouth fans in the very highest regard and is looking at it as an opportunity to say goodbye to them.”
With a host of new faces, including trialists, set to feature for Weymouth tonight, one man who will miss out will be Josh Carmichael, who is set to make his debut against Exeter next week.
