Ross County manager Stuart Kettlewell feels Iain Vigurs has shown he is well equipped to deal with the challenges of being the Staggies’ skipper.
Midfielder Vigurs was handed the captaincy by Kettlewell in the summer, following the departure of Marcus Fraser to St Mirren.
Since winning their opening two games of the season, County have only taken two points from their last four games but still occupy fifth place in the Premiership.
Kettlewell feels Vigurs is already displaying leadership traits which bode well for the remainder of the season.
He said: “I’ve seen Iain come on leaps and bounds, and I think his performances tell you that he’s really thriving in the role as well.
“That was what I had hoped for, so if you’d asked me how a new captain would have dealt with the guys on and off the pitch six games in, I couldn’t have been much happier than where it is just now.
“Iain knows it will be a long, hard season, and there will be stages of the season where we find it harder than we are now.
“That’s when his leadership qualities will really come to task, but he’s certainly ready to take it on and he’s done a good job so far.”
Kettlewell feels 32-year-old Vigurs has shown a strong understanding of his fellow players’ personalities, adding: “I have seen a maturity in him with the way he speaks to his team-mates.
“You’re not able just to think about you all the time and the decisions that go against you in training and games, you have to think about when to put an arm around the other guys and when to put a rocket up their backsides.
“There are a number of experienced guys in there and Iain will speak to them in a different manner than he might to do some of the others who might not be as receptive to it.”
Meanwhile, Kettlewell has been charged with misconduct and for questioning the integrity of a referee by the Scottish Football Association.
Kettlewell was involved in a heated exchange with referee John Beaton after his side’s recent 1-0 defeat at Livingston and was shown the red card. He was angered by Beaton’s decision not to award a foul for Ross County in the immediate build-up to Livingston defender Jon Guthrie’s winner and later aired his grievances in the media.
The SFA confirmed the principal hearing is set for Thursday September 17.
