Entrusted with the captain’s armband in recent weeks, Sydney FC defender Seb Ryall said he’s thankful for the faith show in him by Head Coach Graham Arnold to lead the team in Alex Brosque’s absence.
Ryall is poised to lead the Sky Blues in the second Sydney Derby of the season and he said it’s a dream come true to be able to captain Sydney FC after making the transition from fan to player.
“It’s been really enjoyable being captain,” Ryall said.
“I’ve been at the club a long time and Arnie recognised me as one of the leaders in the team and I’m very thankful for the faith he’s shown in me.
“I was a little bit shocked to be called up, under the circumstances when I first got it there were a few boys that were the leaders of the group were out injured so I got the opportunity and he [Head Coach Graham Arnold] seems to be happy with the way it’s been going.
“It’s a dream come true, I watched the team in the first year of the A-League, I was a fan and now to lead the team is something special.”
Having last captained a side in 2008 as Young Socceroos captain, Ryall said he’s had to adjust his preparation for games in recent weeks after taking on a leadership role as he said there’s a large responsibility placed on him to convey Arnold’s tactics on the pitch.
“It’s a different sort of mentality leading into the match,” he said.
“When you’re not captain you’re just mainly thinking about your own performance and your own role.
“It’s a different role being captain, I’ve only done it two weeks, but I feel a lot more comfortable from the first to the second week doing it.
“Under Arnie’s teams he does a lot of talking and the boys are well aware of their roles in the team and the way that he wants the game played out is very clear. There’s a big responsibility on what is to be done and making sure everything is carried out during the match.”
Sydney FC take on the Western Sydney Wanderers at Pirtek Stadium in the second Sydney Derby of the Hyundai A-League 2015/16 season. Catch the game live on Fox Sports 4, listen live on ABC Grandstand or follow @SydneyFC on Twitter for updates.
