Aberdeen Women manager Clint Lancaster has named Hannah Stewart as captain, with club skipper Nadine Hanssen unable to play due to being pregnant.
Hanssen, who is due to give birth in April next year, will not feature again for the Dons this season after the club confirmed last week she is expecting her second child.
And Lancaster believes Stewart, who will captain Aberdeen for the first time on Sunday in a SWPL match at Motherwell, has the required experience to lead the side for the rest of the campaign.
Midfielder Hanssen will remain the club captain, while Stewart, 26, will wear the skipper’s armband on match-days.
The newly-appointed captain has impressed this season with four goals and five assists to her name.
Dons boss Lancaster said: “Hannah has a lot of experience. She has played for Glasgow City before coming back to Aberdeen and is one of the older players in the team.
“I can’t fault her work rate and she has had a brilliant start to the season. She has been absolutely brilliant since I have been here.
“She has been a true professional. You see it on a Sunday – she will run and run and run for this team. She works incredibly hard.
“The goals and assists she has been contributing this season really proves what she offers us.
“It was a wise and sensible choice for me to pick someone like Hannah. She shows all the right qualities of a good captain.”
Lancaster also confirmed Francesca Ogilvie will remain in her role as vice-captain, as he tipped the 22-year-old to one day be named a future Aberdeen skipper.
He added: “Fran is an excellent vice-captain and when she steps up to take the armband during games, she is brilliant.
“She is a fantastic character and works incredibly hard, but just now I think it is good for Fran to have someone like Hannah, who has that little bit more experience, as captain.
“That will help her even more because I do believe there will be a time when Fran is the captain of this club. I have no doubt she is a future club captain.”
Dons feeling rested and recharged ahead of Motherwell trip
Aberdeen face Motherwell at K-Park on Sunday in their first SWPL match in three weeks.
Lancaster says the break has been more of a help than a hindrance as it has allowed the players to take some time to refresh and recharge ahead of a return to action.
The Dons sit eighth in the top-flight with 12 points – one place behind, but level on points with this weekend’s opponents, who the Reds have a game in hand over.
In the two sides’ previous meeting this season, which was was Lancaster’s first competitive game in charge, Aberdeen ran out 3-2 winners at Balmoral Stadium.
Lancaster said: “We have got the squad back into training and, yes, we have made them work hard, but it has been a lot of fun.
“We want to make sure they are enjoying what they are doing and we’ve done a lot of stuff in training that has revolved around team building.
“I wanted to give them a bit of time off during the break to have some time with their families and friends.
“Sometimes when you are training all the time it can be hard on them, so you need to have the chance to switch off from football and they have come back ready to go again.
“They have trained incredibly well this week which will take us nicely into the game on Sunday.”
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