RICHIE Smallwood “understandably took an interest” in his new appointment as City skipper.
Smallwood will wear the armband against Doncaster at Valley Parade this weekend after being confirmed as captain.
Mark Hughes has admitted the midfielder was the obvious choice after leading Hull in the Championship last season.
Hughes said: “Throughout his career he has always taken on a leadership role at his clubs and I have already seen that in evidence in his short spell here.
“He naturally gravitates towards this role and it was a pretty easy decision.
“You must have a voice. Sometimes players within a group are a little reluctant to speak up, but that’s no problem for Richie.
“This contribution is important. Obviously I have my own ideas but I’m always open to suggestions that can help the group as a whole.
“There are different types of leadership. You can lead by shouting and yelling or you can lead by example. I think Richie has struck the balance well.
Smallwood’s appointment had been widely expected since his arrival from the Tigers and he captained City in pre-season games.
“Hopefully I can lead this great club up a division and then up, but we’ll start on Saturday and go from there,” the 31-year-old said.
“I think it’s about setting an example on and off the pitch. You don’t necessarily have to shout and yell, but be constructive and try to nurture other players’ talent.
“I try to show the professionalism, hard work and dedication it takes to have a good career and live well.
“Hopefully that’s what I can do and if the guys follow that we can pull it off.”
Hughes wanted his summer recruiting to give his team more voice and Smallwood can see other leaders in the ranks.
He added: “You saw that in games like Sunderland where we were more organized and there was a lot of noise in the middle of the pitch.
“I think in any successful team it’s important that the backbone is dominant and vocal and that’s what we brought.
“I don’t just see myself as a leader, but other guys they’ve brought in and that can only be an advantage.
“They showed me in training that they can be themselves, but also have the basics and the understanding to work hard first and foremost.
“Hopefully if we can do that there won’t be any arguments or crossword puzzles because they’re all doing their best.”
Richie Smallwood in a practice match with Jamie Walker, the first of the summer recruits
City have been one of the busiest Ligue 2 sides of the summer window, but have done most of that recruiting early – which Smallwood sees as a big advantage.
“It feels like we’ve been together for three months instead of six weeks,” he added. “But that can only benefit the team.
“It’s the ideal scenario. The Man United manager recently said he would like everyone to be available in the pre-season squad, but that’s not really practical.
“But Bradford has basically done that and it can only pay dividends. The more time you spend together when you’re new recruits, the better.
“When I came to Hull some signings really stood out and the club brought in the right characters they needed.
“It’s very similar to what head recruiting Stephen Gent and Ryan Sparks have done here.
“I can see what they’re trying to do and I think they’ve done a really good job. Now it’s about proving it on the pitch and backing it up.
A stellar Valley Parade audience can’t wait to see summer’s hard work come to fruition on opening day — and Smallwood can’t wait to get started.
“I really liked it from the start. We worked on training patterns and we drilled and drilled it and hopefully that shows in the game.
“The team looks really strong and now it’s up to us to get on the pitch.
“I hear there will be 18,000, which is incredible. I’ve played in front of big crowds before and this is another one I’ll look forward to every week.
“It’s a huge game for the club and we want to start on the right foot and establish a scorer. We have to be on it from the first whistle and I’m sure we will be.
