SEAN Newton will take over from Simon Heslop as York City’s skipper for the new season.

The 28-year-old utility man donned the armband during the Minstermen’s 8-0 pre-season friendly home defeat to Blackburn Rovers – a game that Heslop started on the bench – with boss Gary Mills confirming afterwards that Newton would be fulfilling the role permanently during the 2017/18 National League North campaign.

During his first spell in charge at Bootham Crescent, Mills replaced Michael Ingham with Chris Smith as captain.

Newton, meanwhile, carried out the same responsibility for Mills at their previous club Wrexham but, despite hailing the former’s leadership qualities following his switch to North Yorkshire last October, the City chief felt the time was not appropriate to relieve York-born Heslop of the duties in the midst of a National League survival battle.

As Mills begins to plot a return to the same division at the first attempt, though, following last terms’s relegation, he wants Newton to be his on-field sentinel, meaning his predecessor’s last act in the job was to hoist the FA Trophy above his head at Wembley after May’s 3-2 victory over Macclesfield.

Explaining his decision, Mills said: “Newts will be our captain this season. I always wanted him to be my captain but, with the situation we were in last season, I didn’t think it was the right time to do it.

“Some players are made out to be captains and some are not and I feel that Newts is more of a captain than Simon.”

Mills argued, meanwhile, that the heavy defeat against a Blackburn side, who still looked Championship class despite their relegation to League One, perhaps served more of a purpose for his team than it did the Lancashire visitors.

“We will probably have got more out of it than them and it’s about being ready for August 5, not about losing 8-0 in pre-season,” he pointed out. “It was a good fitness exercise and a learning curve.

“Nobody likes that kind of scoreline, but they were different class and that’s what can happen sometimes when you’re playing a team with such a lot of quality. I’ve seen Premier League teams concede eight before and that didn’t bother me against Blackburn, as long as my players worked hard and they did.”

Mills went on to singled summer signing Louis Almond and newest recruit Jaseem Sukar, who has turned his Bootham Crescent trial into a permanent deal, for praise on a difficult evening, adding: “I thought Louis was bright, as he has been in all the pre-season games and Jass did well when he came on in the second half.

“He slotted in nicely on the left side of defence and stepped out with the ball a few times. It’s good for us and him to make his stay permanent.

“He doesn’t need to feel that he has to impress all the time now and can settle into his game and relax more. With him at the club, it also gives us the option of moving Sean Newton into midfield if we want to.”

Off the field, Andy Collett has returned to City as a goalkeeper coach, having worked under previous managers Nigel Worthington and Russ Wilcox before leaving two years ago.

On that appointment, Mills said: “Andy will be working with the academy and the first team and, even though Jon Worsnop works hard on his game and is self-motivated, it’s always nice to have another coach. I don’t know Andy, but I’m sure we’ll get to know each other very quickly.”