YORK City defender David McGurk has no complaints about missing out on the club’s captaincy to summer signing Mark Greaves.

McGurk finished last season with the armband after skipper Manny Panther lost his place in the team and was subsequently released.

But the 25-year-old defender was aware the role was temporary and is happy to continue as the club’s vice-captain next term, feeling former Hull City, Boston and Burton utility man Greaves, pictured, is a natural choice to lead the team out.

About manager Colin Walker’s decision, McGurk said: “I’d have liked to have been captain as anybody would, but it’s not a big disappointment to me. The gaffer had a chat with me to explain his reasons and I fully respect him for that. Mark has got a lot more experience and he’s a leader who has the respect of the dressing room. I wasn’t expecting the captaincy and it’s not been taken off me, because I never had it.

“I’m fully behind Mark and I will look forward to being captain if he’s not playing, but I will still be the same on and off the pitch whether I have the armband or not.”

McGurk also feels that the addition of the 6ft 1in and 13 stone Greaves will help bring two important qualities to the squad that he felt were lacking last season – physical strength and communication.

He said: “For me, we needed more talkers last season and he will give us that.

“He encourages people and knows what the division is about as well, having reached the play-offs with Burton last season.

“He looks physically strong too and he’s one of the fittest players we have got, despite being 33. I thought we lacked some sort of physical strength all over the pitch last season, but I feel that with Mark and the other new signings the gaffer has made, we have that now and hopefully that will help us get off to a good start next season.”

McGurk added that Greaves’ arrival could provide sterner competition in the centre of City’s defence.

When Walker opted for a back three during the majority of his tenure last season, McGurk, Darren Kelly and Danny Parslow were the only recognised central defenders on the books, with full-back Darren Craddock acting as a makeshift if any of the trio were unavailable.

Prior to Walker’s appointment as manager, City had started the campaign with trialist Carl Jones being given a short-term contract to partner McGurk at the back because Parslow was injured and Kelly had yet to arrive.

Mark Robinson, meanwhile, had no cover at left-back until Anthony Lloyd was re-signed at the end of September and the later emergence of talented youngster Andy McWilliams. The versatile Greaves can play in the centre of defence or midfield, but two from himself, McGurk, Parslow and Kelly could still miss out should Walker opt for the back four he has fielded in the Minstermen’s first two pre-season friendlies.

About the possible permutations, McGurk said: “For me, I don’t feel any different in either and it’s been easy to get used to going back to four.

“We’ve got a lot of centre-backs and central midfielders, though, so somebody will miss out if we go with a back four.

“But there’s nothing wrong with good competition and we might not have had enough last season.”