Aston Villa's newly appointed captain Micah Richards has spoken about the proudness he gets from wearing the armband, and why Villa fans shouldn't expect anything less than 100% from him.
The skipper, appointed as club captain on the eve of the season following the departure of Fabian Delph, has led his team to a solid start to the Premier League season - leaving them 10th after two games.
It was an ideal start on the opening day, as he helped his defence to a clean-sheet in a 1-0 win over Bournemouth, as Rudy Gestede's second half goal clinched three points.
Things weren't so good in the first home game of the season, as Villa lost 1-0 to Manchester United last Friday, but things could have been different if Richards had been awarded a penalty after Matteo Darmian hauled him down in the penalty area.
Importance of the armband
Wearing the armband in both games so far, Richards described himself as being "proud" to do so, adding that he "knows all about the responsibilities" required to be captain due to his days of vice-captaincy at Manchester City, and that manager Tim Sherwood feels he is "well suited to motivate the lads".
After a poor season last year for Aston Villa, expectations are fairly low as to what Villa can actually produce league wise this season. The captain explained that he believes "all the fans can ask for is 100%", and that the fans will get that from him, "win, lose or draw".
What next?
Richards will be hoping to increase Villa's points tally to six come Saturday, when he and his teammates travel to London for the tough test of Crystal Palace.
A point against Alan Pardew's vibrant side, who were unlucky to come away with nothing against Arsenal last weekend, may be celebrated, however a win would be a huge boost to Villa's confidence.