Soccer: Blackburn captaincy change 'no big deal'

Ryan Nelsen. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Home matches against Honduras and Paraguay give inspirational All Whites captain Ryan Nelsen the chance to pull on the captain's armband - a role he obviously enjoys, but no longer does at his English Premier League club Blackburn Rovers.

"It's no big deal," said Nelsen yesterday. "I am the club captain but no longer the captain on the park."

French-born Congolese defender Chris Samba, who has regularly partnered Nelsen in the heart of the Rovers defence since his arrival at the club in January 2007 on a £400,000 ($850,000) transfer from German club Hertha Berlin, has assumed the captaincy.

Asked pre-season who would lead the team in 2010-11, Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce confirmed Samba, who had led the team in the latter stages of the previous season when they lost only one of nine league games, would take over the captaincy.

"Chris enjoyed the role at the back end of last season," said Allardyce who succeeded Mark Hughes [who signed Samba] at the club. "Ryan is very comfortable with that."

Samba, 26, and capped 20 times for the Republic of Congo since his debut in 2004, has played 137 times for Rovers. His arrival coincided with Nelsen's return after six months sidelined with a hamstring injury. Nelsen signed a new five-year deal with Blackburn in 2007.

"Chris is an incredible player and at 26 it was the right time to do it [hand him the captaincy]," said Nelsen, who will be 33 on October 18.

"I had five and a half years as captain.

"My new role as club captain is a bit like being on a board when they have an old guy who they don't want to get rid of so they find him a new job."

At least he does not have that worry with the All Whites with Herbert often saying Nelsen has the "job" for as long as he wants it.