Ipswich Town boss Paul Hurst has confirmed Luke Chambers will be his captain as he begins his Portman Road reign.

East Anglian Daily Times: Ipswich Town manager Paul Hurst smiles as the Ipswich Town Open Day Training Session starts Picture: ROSS HALLSIpswich Town manager Paul Hurst smiles as the Ipswich Town Open Day Training Session starts Picture: ROSS HALLS (Image: Archant)

Chambers captained the Blues during much of Mick McCarthy’s tenure, taking over the role officially following the departure of Carlos Edwards in 2014, and will do so again under Hurst.

The new Ipswich manager has regularly insisted no player can take their place in the side for granted under his management, but Hurst admitted Chambers’ is almost guaranteed to start on the opening day against Blackburn.

“Luke’s captain, whenever he’s in the team, though obviously if he’s not he will still be a big voice around the place,” he said.

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“At the minute he’s probably one of the players, touch wood, guaranteed to be in the starting line-up because he’s done well and we haven’t got too much competition at this moment in time.

“In the pre-season games where it’s quiet and there aren’t too many fans you can get a better sense of (his leadership) than you sometimes do when you are playing in front of 20,000 when a lot of those messages can get lost.

“He’s a big presence at the football club and you need people like that – sometimes they are the most vocal and sometimes they are the quieter ones who do the work.

“Hopefully he’s enjoying it, a new start and a new challenge for him as well.”

East Anglian Daily Times: Ipswich Town manager Paul Hurst smiles as the Ipswich Town Open Day Training Session starts Picture: ROSS HALLSIpswich Town manager Paul Hurst smiles as the Ipswich Town Open Day Training Session starts Picture: ROSS HALLS (Image: Archant)

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Chambers, on his part, had made no assumption he would continue as captain.

“You can say I’m the captain but the new manager would be well within his rights to change that,” he said. “I’m not counting on it.

“I’ve been the captain in the pre-season games but if he brings someone in, and he feels they are going to do a better job for the football club, then that is the way it is going to be.

“I’ll be doing everything I can to give the best that I can to the team. I’m not expecting to start every game and I’m not expecting to be captain but if that is an honour that he gives to me – and he trusts me with that – fantastic.”