Huddersfield and England winger Jermaine McGillvary has revealed his pride following the Giants’ announcement that his close friend Leroy Cudjoe has been named their new captain for 2017.
Cudjoe has been given the armband by coach Rick Stone following the whittling down of a ten-man leadership group devised last week to find the club’s new skipper.
And McGillvary – who was convinced as a teenager by Cudjoe to get back into rugby league – says he couldn’t be happier for his friend.
“I’m so proud for Leroy,” he told TotalRL.
“He’s been a part of the Huddersfield setup since he was nine years of age so to get the armband as a local boy, it’s sensational for him. I know his family are really proud of him and so are we – especially close friends of his like me and Michael Lawrence. It won’t faze him either; he’ll lead by example.”
McGillvary also believes that a Huddersfield-produced player ascending to the role of captain provides inspiration for younger players in the area looking to make it at the top and follow in Cudjoe’s footsteps.
He said: “It’s great because it shows there’s a pathway for a local lad to go all the way to the top – and I think the fans will relate to a Huddersfield lad being captain and it’s just a great move and another sign we’re going in the right places.”
