Newcastle United defender Jamaal Lascelles has lifted the lid on his captaincy at the club and insisted that he has improved as a leader both on and off the pitch thanks to manager Rafael Benitez.
The former Nottingham Forest powerhouse was handed the armband by the Spanish boss at the age of just 22-years-old as the club prepared for a season in the Championship following relegation, and has remained as the player’s representative ever since.
Now 24, the centre back has revealed how is is trying to improve as a team mate and captain, including important one-on-one talks with Benitez after tearing into team mates to get them motivated rather than having a quiet word.
He told FourFourTwo, as quoted by the Chronicle: “It’s up to me how I learn to talk to them, and over time I’ve worked out which guys can handle me yelling and which like an arm around the shoulder. I think I’m a big character in the dressing room.
“It took me a little while to understand how to get my message across to some of the squad. Rafa has sat me down on a few occasions and explained I can’t communicate the same way with every player.
“I reckon I’ve definitely improved that part of my game. I’ve also been helped by the fact we’ve kept the same group of players together, so I’ve got to know them individually.”
Opinion
Lascelles has excelled at his role as captain and one of the reasons he is so highly rated on Tyneside is his leadership qualities. While he is a solid defender who is more than capable of holding his own in the Premier League, the way that he conducts himself both on and off the pitch, talking with team mates, fans and broadcasters shows he has the right mentality and approach to lead the team out on match day. He stood out as one of very few players to come out with any sort of credit in the season the Magpies were relegated and it was the way he stood up to more experienced stars due to what he perceived a lack of dedication which really endeared him to the Toon Army. He is not afraid to speak his mind and is obviously someone who wants the best for the club – nothing less. The Newcastle fans love him and they will be hoping he can be the captain to lead them to their next piece of silverware.