McClaren's Candidates To Be Newcastle Captain Assessed

2. Jack Colback

Many fans' choice to be captain, Colback made the switch to Tyneside from Newcastle's bitter rivals Sunderland last summer but showed his mettle immediately as he slotted seamlessly into the Magpies' midfield. Booed and heckled on his return to the Stadium of Light, although Colback did not have his best game in a black-and-white shirt, he was one of the few Newcastle players who battled away for the entire afternoon and refused to give up. The fact Colback is a Geordie, as well as practically a sure starter in the Newcastle midfield, means that he is a prime candidate for the role. Colback is also quiet and rarely vocal, which could work against him, but he leads by example and goes about his own personal job with aplomb. If Steve McClaren wants his general to be in the very engine room of the side then Colback would seem the obvious choice - he can dictate play from the centre of midfield and keep Newcastle's tempo ticking. Seeing as Colback was given the armband for the first few pre-season matches, it seems that the "Ginger Pirlo" is certainly at the front of his head coach's thoughts, if not already nailed on to be skipper. Likelihood Of Being Captain For 2015-16 Season: 9/10