well at least one is.....

Woody · well at least one is.....

Captain Kevin proud to lead United
EXCLUSIVE
by Phil Hay
Some men are born to lead and others are born to be led.
Football has room for both types of character, but the most iconic teams fashioned in England have been underpinned by exceptional captains.
It is no coincidence that the era of Don Revie relied so greatly on the late Billy Bremner, a player who brought skill and leadership to Elland Road in equal measure.
At the Scotsman's funeral in 1997, two of Bremner's successors, Gary McAllister and Gordon Strachan, laid a wreath which read: "To Leeds United's greatest captain. It is an honour to follow in your footsteps."
And follow in his footsteps they had, contributing five years earlier to United's first title-winning team since the Revie years.
The list of captains at Elland Road is long and distinguished, and to their name can now be added that of Kevin Nicholls.
If leadership is a natural quality, Nicholls may be an inherent skipper.
He captained England's Under-18 team and won the armband at Luton at the age of 22.
Joe Kinnear described him as the "heart and soul" of Kenilworth Road, a notable tribute from a manager who set a premium value on intrepid players.
No-one seemed better suited to succeed Paul Butler and join United's roll of captains.
Just don't expect Nicholls to entertain comparisons with Bremner, Strachan and McAllister.
"It's a very proud moment, and I'm privileged to be captain," he said.
"It's a massive achievement for me personally, and a lot of great players have captained this club.
"I'm the next one and it's a big honour, but I haven't done anything yet.
"I don't expect people to start talking me up.
"When I've done something important or helped the club achieve something then maybe I'll deserve to go on to the same list as the other players who have captained Leeds.
"I'm Kevin Nicholls, captain, but that doesn't mean anything to me until I've played a part in something special.
"It's not about getting the armband, it's about what you do with it."
Nicholls was named as United's new captain within 24 hours of the appointment of Dennis Wise at Elland Road last month but, even now, the armband in his possession is largely symbolic.
The 27-year-old has been recovering from knee surgery since leaving the field at West Brom on a stretcher in September, and a lack of fitness has restricted him to three league starts since his £700,000 move to Leeds from Luton almost four months ago.
In the interim, the captaincy has past temporarily to Shaun Derry, his second-in-command.
Nicholls will complete his rehabilitation later this month, however, and the decision to install him at the head of Wise's squad was enthusiastically received by the club's supporters.
Butler had held the armband for more than two years, but Wise's decision was based on his desire for an "up-and-coming player" to lead his team at a time when Leeds are in need of a fresh start.
Usurping Butler was never the intention of Nicholls when he signed for Leeds, but it was almost inevitable that a man with his talismanic nature would find his way to the top of the tree.
When Kevin Blackwell signed Nicholls in July, he always expected that the fiery midfielder would become United's next captain.
"When I got the chance to join Leeds, the main thing for me was signing for a big club," said Nicholls.
"Butts was captain and that wasn't something I focused on, but perhaps in the back of my mind I hoped I'd be young enough and good enough to get the captaincy at some stage.
"It comes naturally to me anyway. I'd speak my mind even if I wasn't captain, and I always tell people what I think of them – in the right way.
"I was made captain at Luton at 22 by Joe Kinnear, and at Charlton (Nicholls' first club) I was in the reserves at a young age.
"Even then, I could tell what my character was, and I try to lead by example.
"I've done that through my career. The gaffer's given me this chance and I wasn't going to turn it down.
"I've got a lot of ambition and, if it's not this season, I hope that in my spell at Leeds I can lead the club back into the Premiership."
Targets
At present, Nicholls' targets are more immediate, and his return to United's first team will be a considerable relief for both the midfielder and his struggling club.
Nicholls missed the first six weeks of the Championship season after damaging his knee during his first training session at Thorp Arch, and he underwent surgery following an unfortunate injury sustained against West Brom on September 30.
A heavy challenge from Darren Carter cut down Nicholls early in the second half at The Hawthorns, but United's former caretaker John Carver later insisted the damage to the midfielder's knee ligaments had been caused by the blades on his boots catching in the turf.
The claim was difficult to prove, but Nicholls trusted Carver's advice and has altered his footwear, reverting to boots with convention studs.
"No disrespect to JC, but he might have taken it to the limit when he blamed it all on my boots," said Nicholls.
"It's hard to say, but we've come to the conclusion that I won't wear blades anymore. They may have been a factor.
"It's also possible that the knee was a bit unstable, but I've had the surgery and I've had it put right. I'll be back soon, I won't be wearing blades and everyone will be happy.
"I still need to do a bit more work with the physios to test my knee for a match situation.
"But if I don't have any reaction then I should be able to play for the reserves or join back in with the lads later this month.
"I can't wait to get the armband on and get my lungs open again."
proud to play for Leeds United , good luck to the lad.