Blues manager Kieran McKenna says new skipper Dara O’Shea shares some similarities with former captain Samy Morsy but while adding his own personality to the role.

It was little surprise that Irish international central defender O’Shea was handed the armband after Morsy departed for Kuwait SC, the 26-year-old having deputised on a number of times last season.

“I don’t think there are any captains who are the same, certainly no two good captains,” McKenna said.

“We are all different and if you try and captain in the way somebody else did, you are probably not going to do a very good job as it won’t be authentic.

“They have got some similar characteristics as players - both fiercely competitive, very professional, really driven to do well for themselves, the team and the club.

“So they have a lot of similar traits, but one grew up in the Midlands with an Egyptian family and one grew up in Dublin to an Irish family, so I wouldn’t expect them to have the same personalities that they bring to the role.

“We know what Samy did during his time here and what a good leader he is. Dara, even last year, was a really good leader alongside Samy and a few others.

“This year, he is stepping up even more and we are really happy with him as a player and what he brings as a person as well.”

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