Ashley Jackson has been named by Luke Hopkins as Coventry Sphinx skipper for the 2014-15 season and will be amiably assisted by Vice Captain Carl O'Neill.
Hopkins said to the Sphinx website: "I would like to announce that I have asked Ashley Jackson to take on the Club Captains role and he has accepted and seems excited about returning to pre season already!!
"Last year Kyle Rhodes was the Club Captain. However, he picked up a bad injury away to Continental Star ten games into the season when he was flying with goals and performances and in losing Kyle, it set us back a little. Ashley stepped up along with Carl O’Neill and took on the role Kyle had left, and it was a big role to take on. With Kyle still recovering from his injury, it's unlikely he will be returning straight away this summer, so for that reason, I have asked Ashley to take on the role and the added responsibility of being Club Captain.
For the last ten years I can name the Club Captain's and anyone who knows anything about our club will know the names Danny McSheffrey, Terry Ward, David Drennan and Kyle Rhodes and they will all say leaders, winners and Coventry Sphinx, so hopefully this will rub off on Ash and he will captain us to some silverware this coming season."
Jackson (pictured above) was quick to accept the role saying: "I am now going into my fourth season with the Sphinx and to be recognised as a leader and be asked to take responsibility of becoming club captain is a honour. I am excited that I will be leading the lads out on what is going to be a massive season for us as a club, and based on the second half of last season there is no reason why we cannot be challenging for the league and also put a good cup run together. Looking at the friendlies that have recently been released we will have some tough test going into the season which is what the lads want, this will put us in great shape going into the start of the season. We have had our three weeks break and I am already raring to get back training and I am sure most of the lads will be the same."
On accepting his role as Vice Captain Carl O'Neill had this to say "Since, Luke brought me back to the Sphinx, we have gradually improved and finishing seventh this year its a massive step forward from fourteenth previous year and hopefully we can move forward again this year. I’ve had family and work commitments to deal with over the last few months, but I've got a good understanding with Luke and what he wants from me, I love the club and there are loads of great people there who I want to win this league for, being asked to support Ash as club captain is always nice as well as it shows the effort I put in is being noticed. Bring on the season youth..."
Picture copyright of Covsupport News Service. Credit CNS/Marcus Robinson