John Ward has a shortlist of "three or four" names to wear the captain's armband for Colchester United next year.

Who will be the skipper when the U's kick-off their 2010/11 campaign at Exeter City is just one of the questions that is taxing manager Ward's mind at the moment.

He is busy preparing his team for the start of the npower League One season on August 7, with their latest pre-season game coming at Lowestoft Town tomorrow night.

Ward admits that he has not made a firm decision on who will get the honour yet, but he knows the qualities he is looking for in his skipper.

“Leadership is an obvious quality that I’m looking for, but how do you get that?" he said.

“I think that it’s in action as well as in voice and things like that.

“There are three or four boys in contention for that, who have got those qualities.

“For me, it is and armband and a title, but certainly I will be looking for a number of people, by their actions and how they go about themselves on and off the pitch, that there are some leadership qualities there."

See today's Gazette for the full story.