7:00am Tuesday 7th July 2009
By Neil Perrett
NEW skipper Danny Hollands is keen to draw a line under his recent salary dispute and hopes Cherries supporters will do likewise.
Hollands has been handed the captain’s armband just weeks after he reluctantly served the club with his notice due to unpaid wages.
The 23-year-old, who is the PFA representative at Dean Court, fought vigorously for his team-mates through the players’ union before making a personal stand.
And although he was the only one to follow up with a threat to quit, Hollands is hoping his stance will not count against him with supporters.
He told the Daily Echo: “I never wanted to leave the club, it wasn’t a case of that. The players knew the reasons behind it and I explained it to all of them. We’re a really tight bunch and we do things together. They knew why I did it and so did the manager and the chairman.
“As far as I’m concerned, it’s finished with. I want to look forward to the season and, hopefully, no fans will hold a grudge against me and I can help take the club forward with the captaincy.”
Hollands, who also had a very public spat with a group of fans following Cherries’ 3-0 defeat at Accrington last season, has been appointed skipper as a permanent replacement for Shaun Cooper who is expected to spend six months on the sidelines with a groin injury.
“It’s a great honour for me and I’m over the moon,” said Hollands who has regularly deputised as Cherries skipper since joining the club from Chelsea where he captained their reserves.
“When you play in any team, you want to be captain. Hopefully, I can do as good a job as Shaun and continue to take the team forward. Without a points deduction next season, I’m confident we can be near the top end of the table.
“I’m really looking forward to the challenge and, hopefully, I can do well by the team and we can all do well and have a good season.
“Even though people always say there are 11 captains in the team, when you’re wearing the armband it puts a bit more pressure on you.”
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