Lewis Grabban admits he may not be “the stereotypical captain” for Nottingham Forest - but he is determined to lead by example.
The striker has been identified by head coach Sabri Lamouchi as one of his four skippers this season, along with Joe Worrall, Michael Dawson and Samba Sow.
He has worn the armband for the opening two games of the campaign, leading the team out at Barnsley in the Carabao Cup and for Saturday’s first Championship match, against QPR.
And while Grabban is generally a little quieter on the pitch, when compared to the likes of Worrall and Dawson, he is determined to lift the Reds by other means.
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“I’m not a stereotypical captain that fans might want to see or expect,” said the front man.
“At half-time, in private one-to-ones, then I’ll say my bit.
“But in terms of the game, it can sometimes be difficult for a forward to be dictating with his voice up top - because you need to be focused on the game and your movement.
“It’s a lot easier from behind the play.
“But what I always try to do, whether I’m captain or not, is lead by actions and work-rate on the pitch.
“I try to lead by example.”
Grabban became the first Forest player to hit 20 goals in a season since 2003, when he reached that landmark last term.
He was an integral part of Lamouchi’s side as they agonisingly fell short of a top six finish on the final day.
But the 32-year-old insists there is a positive mood in the camp as the club look to push for promotion again - going in search of a first win when they host Cardiff City on Saturday.
“The mood has been good. We’ve had some good weeks of training,” Grabban said, in the aftermath of the weekend’s defeat at QPR.
“It’s just about getting the first win. Hopefully that will lift everything at the club after a disappointing end to last season.
“But the mood is positive, there’s no real negativity at all.
“We didn’t get the win on Saturday, but if we had, it wouldn’t mean we’d get promoted. Likewise, losing doesn’t mean we get relegated.
“We just go on to next week.”
