The defender says it was a massive confidence boost to captain Newcastle United.
Newcastle United defender Paul Dummett has told the Chronicle that it was a huge confidence boost when Rafa Benitez recently handed him the captain’s armband.
The Welsh defender has been a mainstay in Benitez’s team this season, keeping summer signing Achraf Lazaar out of the side.
He was handed the captain’s armband for the EFL Cup win over Cheltenham Town, in which Ayoze Perez fired them to a 2-0 victory.
It fulfilled a lifelong dream for the Wales international, who has now played for, scored for and captained his boyhood team.
And he has thanked Benitez for giving him the chance to do the latter, saying it gives him massive confidence.
“It was a massive confidence boost when a world class manager like Rafa Benitez give me the captain’s armband for that night,” he told the Chronicle.
“I grew up just wanting to play for the club, that was one of my main aims. Scoring was another one, and being captain was a dream.”
Dummett will now be hoping to continue in the Newcastle team as long as possible this season.
He has already featured in 10 of their 11 games so far and given they have the fourth-best defensive record in the Championship so far, there is no need to change any time soon.
With a talented player like Lazaar waiting in the wings and Benitez showing his willingness to rotate, though, he will have to continue performing to ensure he is not replaced.
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