Derby County manager Gary Rowett has named the man who will captain the club as he embarks on his first full season in the hotseat at Pride Park, report the Derby Telegraph. 

There had been speculation around the role, with fans touting new arrivals from recently-relegated Hull City Curtis Davies and Tom Huddlestone as potential candidates for the armband, but former Birmingham City boss Rowett has confirmed that Republic of Ireland international Richard Keogh will continue in the role.

The 30-year-old, who has made 18 appearances for his country, has undertaken the role in Derby's final nine matches of last season, following Rowett's appointment and in pre-season in such a manner that the manager saw no reason to change the man with the armband, as he prepares for a promotion push when the second tier season kicks off this weekend.

Keogh will be the man with the armband when the Rams open their Championship account with a trip to another recently-relegated side, Simon Grayson's Sunderland, but Rowett was keen to stress that doesn't mean he expects the Harlow-born defender to be his side's only source of leadership and encouragement.

It takes a strong spine to have a successful second in the second tier, and Rowett namechecked goalkeeper Scott Carson, Keogh's fellow centre-back Davies, holding midfielder Huddlestone and centre-forward Chris Martin - whom Rowett will hope is a less disruptive presence under him than he was for Fulham last season - as others whom he expects to be vocal within the team this season.

The Verdict:

In truth, while the supporters mooted the idea of a change of captain, in reality, it would have caused more disruption than it's worth in the dressing room.

In my view, despite his international and Premier League experience, Huddlestone is too languid a character to lead a side through a tough season, so the standout candidate, as Rowett recognised, would have been Curtis Davies.

However, moving the armband from one centre-back to another would probably have created more tension that it would have solved and it can become a problem in a dressing room when a new arrival is instantly made captain, ahead of players who have been at the club for years.

More pertinent will be whether Rowett's strong spine can inspire a successful campaign, and whether the likes of Martin can show a better attitude than they did last season, and become leaders for the side.

Derby fans - what do you make of the retention of Keogh as captain? Would you liked to have seen a change in the armband to shake things up? Let us know below...