The captain’s armband can bring the best out of Workington Reds star Conor Tinnion, according to his new boss.

Tinnion has been one of Reds’ most influential playmakers in recent seasons and manager Danny Grainger hopes the added responsibility of leading the dressing room will help him hit his top form consistently.

Handing the 28-year-old those duties was one of Grainger’s first major decisions since arriving at Borough Park last month and he is satisfied that he has made the right call.

“I spoke to Tinners quite a lot through the summer,” he said. “I had in my head a four-man shortlist for the captaincy and Tinners was always one of the ones that I looked at.

“Speaking to him, the staff and hearing what he’s got to say, I just thought it was a no-brainer really.

“He knows the club, the area, he’s a demanding player, he wants standards to be high.”

Grainger said the tricky forward reminds him a lot of himself when he first got the captaincy and was expected to step up as a leader on and off the pitch.

And the former Carlisle United defender believes a good season for Tinnion will also lead to a successful campaign for the club as he looks to guide Reds to promotion.

He added: “I’ve got no doubt that Tinners will lead in the way that we need him to.

“He’s someone that is vital for this club; to be successful, he has to be at the top level.

“Like I said to him and the other lads, he’ll need to make sure that he’s on his game to get the best out of Conor Tinnion which will get the best out of Reds.

“He’s someone that I’ve got a lot of belief in and that’s the reason why I’ve given him the captaincy.

“I’ve got a real belief in the fact that his standards and the way he wants things done is exactly how I want it done as well.”

The new Reds boss also believes his own experience as club captain at United for more than four years should stand him in good stead now that he is the man players will look to for inspiration and answers.

“I would like to think so,” he added. “Obviously there’s been a responsibility on my shoulders being the captain with being able to delegate and get involved with the hierarchy of the team, squad and club.

“I’ve always been quite vocal in how I’ve done things and even as a young kid at 18-years-old I was never shy in voicing my opinion.

“The lads will get backed by me 100 per cent and with the squad that we’ve got here there’s no reason why we can’t be successful as long as we stick together as a club, fanbase, squad and everything is pulling in the same direction.”