Melbourne Knights has named Ben Surey as its inaugural National Premier Leagues (NPL) captain.
 
Last season’s VPL Gold Medallist Marijan Cvitkovic will be the Knights’ vice-captain for the new season, while Tomislav Uskok earns the title of deputy vice-captain.
 
Speaking to melbourneknights.com.au, Surey, who is a former captain of the Knights, said he was honoured to receive the captaincy but said it wouldn’t alter his approach to games too much.
 
“I was captain before and I was injured. Then [Adam Zilic] took over – he did a good job – and we had a great year. As I’ve said, I’d done it before but it doesn’t really change my approach to games,” Surey said.
 
Cvitkovic was equally honoured to receive the new role, saying that he was looking forward to the new responsibilities the job would entail.
 
“It’s a really great honour to be given the vice-captaincy role – it’s huge,” Cvitkovic said.
 
“I’ve got a lot of respect for the club. Obviously I had an upbringing with my Croatian background around the club, so it’s a massive honour.
 
“I think we’ve got a lot of diversity in the change rooms as well – a lot of good players; a lot of young players with a lot of ambition.
 
“I suppose I find myself being one of those older heads now where you look down and see all these youth players coming up and they’re trying to establish a career for themselves, and try to step up and go to the A-League and further.”
 
22-year-old Tomislav Uskok – a life-long supporter of the club – said it was a privilege to be given the deputy vice-captain role and said he hoped to leave a productive impression on the squad.
 
“I feel privileged and honoured to be given a leadership role at the club,” Uskok said.
 
“I hope to be able to be a positive influence on the team and work towards a successful year for the club.”
 
Surey, Cvitkovic and Uskok will have their first shift as newly appointed captains when they and their teammates take on reigning Victorian champion Northcote City in the club’s inaugural NPL Victoria match on Friday night.
 
With kick-off from 8.30PM at Knights Stadium, Andrew Marth’s men will look to start off the new season with a bang and take all three points off the boys from John Cain Memorial Park.
 
Melbourne Knights is urging all supporters to get to the stadium as early as possible, as a bumper crowd is excepted for its first competitive home game of 2014.

Pictured (left to right): Knights vice-captain Tomislav Uskok, captain Ben Surey and vice-captain Marijan Cvitkovic (image credit: Melbourne Knights FC)