Bognor skipper believes 'team of leaders' can bring success to Nye Camp

Every successful captain needs deputies: players who are consistent enough in their own game to command respect on the pitch.

At Liverpool, although Jordan Henderson has been lauded for his captaincy during their title surge, he has depended heavily on James Milner’s Premier League know-how and Virgil Van Dijk’s defensive organisation this season.

And at Bognor, Whyte has echoed this concept, emphasising how important defender James Crane and keeper Amadou Tangara have been in elevating the team’s performance levels on the pitch.

Whyte said: “You can’t have just one leader in my opinion.

“You need five or six men on the pitch. We’ve got Craney who came back this year and he’s been a godsend.

“The other leader, to be fair, is Amadou. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a keeper really scream in my face when I mess up.

“It was almost surprising when he shouted at me for the first time! You need players like that in the squad.”

Tangara helped the Rocks turn around their poor start to the season, securing 17 wins in 29 appearances after making his debut against Folkestone in October.

The Ivorian’s consistency and leadership has allowed him to settle into the dressing room quickly and establish himself as a pivotal player at Nyewood Lane.

Bognor’s lack of a permanent keeper proved awkward for Whyte earlier in the season as he was forced to deal with a number of concerns among players in the dressing room.

“Players approached me and said we needed to find a solid keeper because the ones we had on loan weren’t really cutting it,” he said.

“You do get some loan players that are brilliant but every now and then you get a player that drifts in and out, and you can’t really have that with a goalkeeper, especially as it’s one of the most important positions on the pitch.”

Evidently Rocks boss Jack Pearce and coach Robbie Blake have created an open and honest culture in the dressing room, epitomised by their captain’s mentality.

Although it can lead to some tricky conversations at times, Whyte says it’s important to build an environment where everyone can speak their mind freely.

Tangara’s vocal presence between the sticks has undoubtedly improved the team, but Bognor’s captain said players also needed quieter leaders during games, and wildly shouting at a teammate could be counter-productive.

Whyte said midfielder Doug Tuck and Crane were particularly effective at getting the best out of the younger players. “They might not be as loud as others on the pitch – I’m probably the loudest we’ve got – but what you get with Doug and Craney is a lot of information.

“Rather than saying, ‘c’mon mate’, they give you specific details like, ‘I tell you what, show him on the outside and he won’t get past you’. It’s a lot more useful than just doing a war cry. General shouting just falls on deaf ears,” he explained.

Whyte’s importance as an authority figure has evolved throughout his time wearing the armband. The midfielder admitted he didn’t really consider himself a natural leader but said Bognor’s previous captains were influential in his development, none more so than former fan favourite Sami El-Abd.

“Sami was probably the best captain I played with. As far as playing ability goes, he couldn’t run, he wasn’t the most mobile, but he read the game well and he was the type of person that would have you by the throat in the changing room if he needed to. I was lucky I was never on the wrong side of him. If he told you something, you listened!” Whyte said.

Although Whyte has spearheaded a young squad this season, the Rocks have managed to produce leaders with a variety of skill. Fans will be hopeful that, if these players are retained, Whyte will continue to lead the club in the right direction and kick on for promotion in 2020-21.

A message from the Editor, Gary Shipton:

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news, I am asking you to please purchase a copy of our newspapers.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspapers.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

Stay safe, and best wishes.