Sunderland's Max Power has formed a 'captaincy committee' with Grant Leadbitter and Bailey Wright.
The midfielder was appointed as first-team captain by manager Phil Parkinson at the start of the season, with Aussie defender Wright as his vice-captain.
Seasoned campaign Leadbitter is still club captain, and rather than let any 'rank' get in the way, the trio have pooled their knowledge to benefit the squad.
“I said when the captaincy was announced that it’s probably the proudest moment of my career to date," Power said.
“I understand how much this football club means to the region, and to be given the responsibility of captaining the side is something I’m going to cherish.
“It’s not just me – we’ve sort of formed a committee, myself, Grant and Bailey. We’re here to help and guide everyone here – not just the players but everyone around the building.
"The last two league games I’ve missed and Bailey’s had the armband on, and led the lads fantastically well. We have lads all throughout the team who have shown real leadership qualities.”
While the Black Cats are making solid progress on the pitch, it comes amid the somewhat sterile atmosphere of empty stadia.
Fans are not expected to be allowed to return to football grounds until the spring, and it's unlikely we'll see full houses for some time.
But while we're slowly getting used to watching games with no - or artificial - atmosphere, Power admitted it's something he's really missing.
“Football without fans is of course strange, it’s an eerie feeling and we much prefer to have the fans there backing us," he explained in an interview with the club's official website.
"Empty stadiums aren’t what football is about – 2020 has obviously been a strange year for everyone.
“Fans are crucial to everything, and as I’ve said, I understand how much the club means to everyone there – it’s people’s lives, it’s our lives as footballers, so hopefully we can come through these turbulent times and it isn’t too long.
“It’s been disappointing where we seemed close to slowly introducing fans back in, but we’re all looking forward to a full Stadium of Light.”
Sunderland are in next in action on Saturday when they take on Swindon Town at the County Ground, before consecutive home games against Crewe Alexandra and Portsmouth.
