EXCLUSIVE: New Newcastle Jets skipper Jade North has revealed his shock at being appointed captain.
The Taree-born Socceroo says replacing former Jets captains Ned Zelic and Paul Okon came out of the blue at training.
“It was just before a weights session," revealed North. "Gary Van Egmond was just going through a few things about the weekend and talked about the game.
"And then he just said, ‘I’m going to announce the captaincy and I’m going to do it today. I’ll do it now...’ - and then he just pointed at me and told me I was going to be captain!
“It was a bit of a shock because he had briefly come up to me in Port Macquarie at one of the pre-season games when we played Perth and told me he wanted me to be part of the leadership group - but that was about it."
He added: "He didn’t tell me he had intentions for me to become captain, I just thought my role would be in that leadership group. It was pretty informal!”
While still only 25 and with limited captaincy experience, North is one of the most-respected Jets. He's been part of the Socceroos set-up since 2002 and was most recently involved in the squad that faced Uruguay in June.
“I’ve never been a captain except for when I captained the Olyroos for two games against Colo Colo when they came over and toured just before the Olympics. That was the only time,” he said.
“It’ll obviously change the way I am around the boys on the park and probably even off the park. It probably does change you.
"If anything, it’ll make me an even better towards them so it’s a bonus all round."
North says he’ll look to the Jets’ outgoing captain as inspiration.
“Paul Okon was the best captain that I’ve played under, by a long shot," he said.
"He just led by example and did all the talking on the park. And he had everything to show for it.”
While overlooked for the Socceroos’ squad for the Asian Cup, North believes the Jets will benefit from his off-season work.
To increase his selection chances for the tournament, North trained with Sydney FC as the club prepared for the Asian Champions League.
“We stopped training up here but Sydney were still training and I had to stay fit," he said. "Central Coast were on a break as well, otherwise I would have asked them.
"But because Sydney were playing in the Champions League and still active I trained with them. Their sharpness was still right up there."
North was disappointed to miss out but admitted: "there’s not much you can do.
"I suppose you have your setbacks here and there but you’ve just got to move on and concentrate on the future.”
Now North has promised the Jets faithful they should soon see the return of the form that won them so many new fans last season.
He added: “We’re confident. We just have to get our style of play going again, and get some free-flowing play going.
"It’s coming though... these things sometimes take a while with new players and we’ve had a few injuries so we’ve had to shuffle the team around a little bit.
"But that’s all part of football so we’ll just get on with it and hope for the best.”
“It was just before a weights session," revealed North. "Gary Van Egmond was just going through a few things about the weekend and talked about the game.
"And then he just said, ‘I’m going to announce the captaincy and I’m going to do it today. I’ll do it now...’ - and then he just pointed at me and told me I was going to be captain!
“It was a bit of a shock because he had briefly come up to me in Port Macquarie at one of the pre-season games when we played Perth and told me he wanted me to be part of the leadership group - but that was about it."
He added: "He didn’t tell me he had intentions for me to become captain, I just thought my role would be in that leadership group. It was pretty informal!”
While still only 25 and with limited captaincy experience, North is one of the most-respected Jets. He's been part of the Socceroos set-up since 2002 and was most recently involved in the squad that faced Uruguay in June.
“I’ve never been a captain except for when I captained the Olyroos for two games against Colo Colo when they came over and toured just before the Olympics. That was the only time,” he said.
“It’ll obviously change the way I am around the boys on the park and probably even off the park. It probably does change you.
"If anything, it’ll make me an even better towards them so it’s a bonus all round."
North says he’ll look to the Jets’ outgoing captain as inspiration.
“Paul Okon was the best captain that I’ve played under, by a long shot," he said.
"He just led by example and did all the talking on the park. And he had everything to show for it.”
While overlooked for the Socceroos’ squad for the Asian Cup, North believes the Jets will benefit from his off-season work.
To increase his selection chances for the tournament, North trained with Sydney FC as the club prepared for the Asian Champions League.
“We stopped training up here but Sydney were still training and I had to stay fit," he said. "Central Coast were on a break as well, otherwise I would have asked them.
"But because Sydney were playing in the Champions League and still active I trained with them. Their sharpness was still right up there."
North was disappointed to miss out but admitted: "there’s not much you can do.
"I suppose you have your setbacks here and there but you’ve just got to move on and concentrate on the future.”
Now North has promised the Jets faithful they should soon see the return of the form that won them so many new fans last season.
He added: “We’re confident. We just have to get our style of play going again, and get some free-flowing play going.
"It’s coming though... these things sometimes take a while with new players and we’ve had a few injuries so we’ve had to shuffle the team around a little bit.
"But that’s all part of football so we’ll just get on with it and hope for the best.”
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