Valerien Ismael provided a detailed explanation on his decision to make Todd Cantwell Blackburn Rovers' stand-in captain.
Saturday's goal-scorer was handed the armband by Ismael in the absence of Lewis Travis, who was not in the squad with negotiations about a move to Derby County ongoing.
Cantwell was a surprise choice to skipper Rovers considering Sondre Tronstad and Dom Hyam were in the starting line-up. The former Norwich City man had never worn the armband for Blackburn whilst Tronstad captained the side in midweek and Hyam stood in for Travis after he moved to Ipswich Town 18 months ago.
The decision came down to Ismael's appreciation for Cantwell's intelligence and conduct at Ewood Park. After a long conversation about his values, the head coach felt he was the right player to lead Rovers out.
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"I think it was a feeling throughout all the time I'm here, from day one," Ismael told The Lancashire Telegraph.
"We had a lot of chats together to get to know each other. Very long discussion about football, about everything, family.
"I always saw Todd as a guy who is very socialised with everyone. He can talk with the Academy boys. He can talk with the board, but always in a proper way.
"The players loves him in the changing room, always respect him, always positive. Then you see that his influence in the game without him was massive.
"He had a really, really good pre-season and it was just a feeling. So we talked together and I got a great feeling from him.
"He gave a very good answer on this view. I asked what does it mean for him? That gave me the feeling that ok, you are the right guy and he made it.
"It would have been perfect to win that game with the winning goal from Todd. But at least he's come back, he scored his first goal and we can build from that."
Cantwell's quality is undeniable but unlocking it on a more consistent basis is the challenge this season. The 27-year-old looked emboldened by the added responsibility.
It took until the penultimate game of the season for the midfielder to score his first goal from open play last season. Now, on his first appearance, he's already off the mark for Rovers.
"He can be a technical leader on the pitch. He's got all the potential to do that. Now it's all about his fitness and staying healthy," Ismael added.
"I think he made a great pre-season. He just got a little setback last week, but now he's back. Hopefully, he can stay healthy, touch wood, and it might be a big season for him.
"He's very motivated to do that. This is the Todd Cantwell we want to see and he led the team it brilliantly."
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