Captain Scott

The club have today confirmed that Scott Parker has taken over the role of club captain from Alan Shearer, with Shay Given taking on the role of vice captain.

Having taken the armband for a time last season, when Shearer was out injured, Parker looks to be a captain who leads by example, and if reports of his excellent motivational speeches are to be believed, should be able to galvanise the side before their games ahead.

For Shay, it's justifiable recognition of the respect which he has from both fans and fellow players alike, and as he proved during our unbeaten run at the end of last season, he's perfectly capable of delivering results as captain, despite being (hopefully) a long way from the action.