Paul Huntington confirmed as Carlisle United's captain

Manager Paul Simpson today confirmed that the experienced Carlisle-born defender will wear the armband in 2023/24.

Huntington becomes the permanent successor in the role to Morgan Feeney, who left the club this summer.

The 35-year-old captained United when Feeney, now with Shrewsbury Town, was out injured last term, including the League Two play-off final at Wembley.

The former Preston North End favourite has also skippered the team in pre-season and will now lead out his home-city club in their first game back in the third-tier for nine years this weekend.

Speaking ahead of Saturday’s curtain-raiser against Fleetwood Town, Simpson also stressed that he wants leaders all over the pitch.

“It’s going to be Hunts. Hunts will be captain,” he said.

“He’s done it many times before, and he did it for us last season, and did well with it.”

Simpson, though, said he did not want to make the captaincy a "big announcement" and added: “I do think people add more weight to the armband than I probably do. I want a team of leaders, I want everybody to step up.

“When I look at the group you’ve got people like Sam Lavelle who’s a leader by the way he goes about it, Corey Whelan leads by example, Ben Barclay’s a leader in the way he talks and organises.

Huntington will lead his home-city team out for their first League One game in nine years on Saturday (Image: Barbara Abbott)

“You have people like Owen Moxon who’s not particularly vocal but leads by the way he plays. Callum Guy’s a captain type without being vocal and he and Dylan McGeouch have been captain before. Joe Garner’s a vocal one who goes and ruffles people’s feathers. I want that.

“If Hunts is playing he’ll wear the armband but if he’s not, somebody else has to have that band round the arm and you expect others to come in as well.”