YORK City defender Keith Lowe believes the club have several contenders to succeed the departed Chris Smith as club captain.

Lowe’s former Cheltenham and Kidderminster team-mate Russell Penn donned the armband for Saturday’s 2-1 win at Fleetwood with previous matchday skipper David McGurk sidelined by a back spasm.

In the past, Michael Ingham and Dan Parslow have carried out the role, while John McCombe also assumed the responsibility at previous club Port Vale.

With 308 appearances at Football League level, Lowe would be a potential candidate for the position and the 28-year-old centre-back said: “I think there are a lot of captains out there on the pitch.

“You don’t need just one, you need captains right through the team and I honestly think we have got that at the club because that’s one of the things the gaffer has brought in.”

Having lined up alongside Penn for more than three-and-a-half years with three different clubs now, Lowe certainly believes that the combative midfielder, who has made five appearances for his new team, will lead by example if he continues to call heads or tails for the Minstermen in future matches.

The Wolverhampton-born sentinel added: “Everybody can expect to see pretty much more of what they have seen from Russ so far. He is always sharp in the tackle and likes to the keep the team ticking along by doing the simple things to get us playing.”

Lowe lined up alongside McCombe at the heart of City’s defence for the first time for 90 minutes at Highbury with McGurk sidelined.

He feels the potential is there to forge as productive an understanding with McCombe, as he has enjoyed with McGurk and Dan Parslow previously, saying: “I’ve been getting on well with John on and off the pitch, which has been the same with TY (McGurk) and Pars before.

“That helps because John has slotted in well and we struck up a good partnership on Saturday.”McGurk, McCombe and Lowe all started together during City’s 2-0 defeat against Chesterfield last week with the latter switching to right-back – a job that he would be prepared to undertake again if required.

“I would play anywhere for this club and, wherever I am put on the pitch, I will give 100 per cent every single time,” Lowe insisted.

The ex-Wolves defender has been impressed, meanwhile, by the rest of his team-mates’ industry since his arrival from Cheltenham in November, no more so than during the win over Fleetwood at the weekend.

He said: “It was a hard-fought victory and the lads really dug in for the points. We have put some really big shifts in and that work ethic is the one thing we seem to have in abundance at the club.

“We all have a will to do well together. The wind made a big difference at Fleetwood, especially with Jon Parkin up top.

“He’s difficult to deal with but I thought we came through that. The whole back four did really well and the lads up front got us the goals.”

Lowe’s only disappointment was Mikael Mandron’s equaliser.

The 6ft 2in centre-half has played every minute of the 14 matches since his debut at Southend, with the team conceding 12 goals at an average of one every 0.86 matches.

In the 14 matches prior to his arrival, City had shipped 27 at an average of 1.93 per game but he remained philosophical about Mandron’s effort, reasoning: “It was a classic League Two goal really – a bit of a scramble after the ball had skidded off the surface and bodies were falling everywhere, but that happens and we showed character to come back and get a decent win.”