Joleon Lescott will captain West Bromwich Albion in the absence of regular skipper Chris Brunt.
32-year old centre-back Lescott, who only joined the Baggies from Manchester City in the summer, has already made such a positive impression at The Hawthorns that manager Alan Irvine has handed him the captain's armband for the weekend's clash with Hull City.
Lescott was a target for the Tigers during the transfer window which prompted plenty of positive words from Irvine prior to the KC Stadium meeting on Saturday.
"I am absolutely delighted he's with us and not them. He has all the qualities that you would want in a captain," said the Albion boss.
"He has been terrific since he has been here. He is somebody who has played at the very top but has also experienced the kind of situation we find ourselves in as well."
Of the former Wolves and Everton man, Irvine added: He added: "He's not a big shouter. He's actually quite quiet in the way he goes about things.
"But we knew what we were getting when we signed him and he is a great guy to have around.
"You need big players and strong characters because once the whistle blows it's more difficult for someone on the sidelines to affect things.
"You can shout as much as you like, but it's difficult once the game is under way."
