Central Coast have announced Nick Montgomery will captain the Gosford based club next season with the 33-year-old set to get an early test of his leadership this Saturday.
Outgoing captain John Hutchinson, who has joined the club's coaching ranks following his retirement, was on hand to pass his good friend the captain’s armband today.
In a unique sequence of events, ‘Monty’ is now faced with the challenge of facing off against ‘Hutch’ in his Testimonial match this Saturday that will see a host of Mariners legends return to the Central Coast to take on Montgomery and his Mariners.
Montgomery arrived on the Central Coast in the lead up to the 2012/13 Championship winning season and has been a mainstay in the centre of the park since joining the club from Sheffield United.
The 33-year-old made over 300 appearances for ‘The Blades’, including a season in the English Premier League. After becoming a club legend at Sheffield United, ‘Monty’ arrived on the Central Coast to link with the Mariners and has made 72 Hyundai A-League appearances for the yellow and navy.
“It’s a great honour to be named captain, coming here, Hutch took me in and has looked after me the last couple of years and I’ve got some massive boots to fill,” Montgomery said.
“I’ve been here for three years now, I’ve lived and breathed the culture of this club and Hutch has been a great leader.
“Taking the man [Hutchinson] down, that’s what I’ll be trying to do this weekend so that will be fun. I’ve played with him for three years but it will be nice to play against him on Saturday.
“Hopefully I can give the armband the credit it deserves,” Montgomery said.
Hutchinson noted Montgomery as the ideal man to lead the Mariners into battle next season.
“For me it’s the best choice. First and foremost he’s a family man and a great leader in the change room,” Hutchinson said.
“You could see when he first came in, you could see how much experience and leadership he brought to the club, he fitted in well with the team culture and the biggest part about Monty is that he’s a team player.
“Nothing’s about him and as a captain you’ve gotta give everything and that’s what Monty’s about. He’s a great man and he’s the best man for the job."