Rotherham United name their new captain

Hakeem Odoffin wore the armband at the end of last season and his departure following the expiry of his contract left the Millers in need of a new man.

Hamshaw has opted for right-back Joe Rafferty who is a seasoned pro and a popular and respected figure in the dressing room.

“‘Raff’ will be club captain and we'll go from there,” the boss told the Advertiser this weekend. “The leadership, the enthusiasm and the talking he brings to the squad are very important. We're a quiet group and that needs to be improved upon.”

Thirty-one-year-old Rafferty, who joined the club last summer and made 44 appearances in his first year, has always been a first-choice selection since he moved north after a two-season stint at Portsmouth.

He will lead out the team as long as he continues to retain his place.

The Liverpudlian has done the job throughout the pre-season programme and has taken to the role.

He was a substitute for yesterday's 4-1 friendly loss at Accrington Town and was called into action for the second half when his introduction, along with that of another full-back, Reece James, saw the visitors step up their performance.

“t was good to give ‘Raff’ and ‘Jamo’ a bit of rest because they've had a lot of minutes,” Hamshaw said. “When they came on, they gave us a bit more experience, a bit more know-how. And they're loud.

“We're a bit of a young group who probably needed that voice out there. That's something we need to consider as we recruit.”

Rafferty has played most of his football at right-back but can also operate as a centre-half in a back three and as a wing-back.