Darren Byfield is new Walsall skipper
Darren Byfield was today named as Walsall's new club captain.
[caption id="attachment_126031" align="aligncenter" width="232" caption="Darren Byfield will be penning a column for the Express & Star this season."]
The striker has been handed the honour and is set to skipper the team in tomorrow's League One opener with MK Dons.
Richard Taundry, Aaron Lescott, Matt Richards and Julian Gray - but not Byfield - all led the side during pre-season but the 33-year-old has won the race for the armband.
And, ahead of the Banks's Stadium curtain-raiser, Hutchings reckons the striker is the best man for the job.
He said: "Darren will be club captain and he'll lead them out tomorrow.
"He's been around the block, with due respect to Darren, and he's been at a lot of clubs. He's an experienced player and a lot of the lads, especially the younger ones, will look up to him."
Byfield scored 10 goals after returning to the club last season but Hutchings has told him to double his tally if he wants to be known as a true striker.
"It doesn't matter who is captain or club captain, his target has got to be 20 goals. I don't think he's done it in his career, so it's something he has to achieve," said Hutchings.
"If you're classed as a really good striker to get 20 goals a year, even if you only do it once in your career, is the ultimate aim.
"That's his target for this year, as it would be for Troy Deeney, Alex Nicholls or Will Grigg. It doesn't matter whoever is up front, 20 goals is the aim."
Watford target Deeney is in contention to play despite handing in a transfer request this week with boss Chris Hutchings insisting until he leaves he is available.
The Hornets, who go to Norwich in the first game of the new season tonight, are expected to return with a fifth bid but remain tight-lipped over their long chase for the striker.
And Hutchings, who has a fully fit squad for tomorrow, is now focusing on three points tomorrow.
"Can we build on what we did last year? That's what we're striving to do," he said. "Our expectations will be the same as MK Dons', we all want to do well."
