Wolves boss lays down challenge after shock captaincy switch

The midfielder took over as captain in the summer but has struggled with his form, before lashing out against team-mates and first team coach Shaun Derry following the loss to West Ham on Monday.

O'Neil said that outburst played a part in the decision to make Nelson Semedo the new captain, but he has challenged Lemina to put in a big performance as Wolves face Ipswich next in a crunch relegation clash.

“I don’t know if it inhibited him, but it was a change for him," O'Neil said when asked about Lemina's captaincy.

“It was a change for him that brought him extra stuff (responsibilities).

“Maybe taking some of that stuff away for him is good because he's a great guy and he wants to do the best for this football club.

“He loves his football club, as you can see with his passion, and sometimes how he shows his emotion after the games, it shows how much he cares about the place.

“He gives an awful lot. So I think it gives him an opportunity now to really nail down what he is and his own performances and I expect to see a really good Mario Lemina (against Ipswich).

“I think he'll show us the sort of the man and the player that he is and he'll come out and put in a real top performance for the club again."

Semedo was vice-captain under Lemina and has now taken the armband permanently.

O'Neil said he still needs to make a decision on the new vice-captain, but was full of praise for his new skipper, who will lead the team out against Ipswich.

“He's unbelievably solid as a guy and he doesn't get caught up in any sort of ups and downs," O'Neil said on new captain Semedo.

“His level in training and around the place and his professionalism is top —  one of the best I've seen and worked with, even going back to my playing days, for his consistency in the way that he goes about his stuff.

“Obviously he's one of the most senior ones there as well so there is a real respect for the level that he's played at before he was here and for the level that he's been able to reach in the last couple of years because his performances have been exceptional.

“He has a real respect within that group and he'll bring a lot to the role, as Mario did when he had it as Max (Kilman) did when he had it.

“Nelson will really add something to the group at this moment and bring us a real calmness and a good level head to a tough situation that we're currently in as a group.”