Thursday 14 January 2016 15:07, UK
Manchester Thunder coach Dan Ryan has named three vice-captains in his squad for the upcoming Superleague season.
Ryan, who is overseeing his first campaign with the Thunder, has introduced a new leadership approach, which will see 2015 skipper Sara Bayman fronting the vice-captaincy trio and she will be joined by fellow England international Laura Malcolm and new Kiwi signing Liana Leota.
Attacker Natalie Haythornthwaite and centre-courter Gabby Marshall will also be part of the Thunder's five-strong leadership team.
Ryan said: "I felt it was important to have a leadership group consisting of athletes who share my passion and genuinely understand what being a leader in a team environment is all about.
''It was equally important to have a group of leaders that were keen to grow and evolve in this area. I want to challenge them all to really discover who they are as leaders and help the steer the direction of this team.''
Bayman, who will skipper the England Roses in the forthcoming tri-Test series against Australia, is an experienced captain and one of the most senior members of the squad.
Leota and Malcolm will stand beside the 31-year-old as two equally experienced players, to provide a formidable captaincy trio for the season ahead.
"Between the three of them, they offer a really diverse skill set, a wealth of experience and are all very unique in how they go about their leadership," said Ryan.
"So collectively they form a really powerful trio and I'm really keen to see how much of an impact they can have on each other and the overall team.
"Bayman's very unassuming in many ways but always takes care of business, even when no one is watching while Malcs' teammates feed off her and she absolutely loves her club, so in many ways she captures what it means to be a member of this franchise.
"Liana's at the stage in her career where she really wants to give back and she's certainly doing that with us."
