A PATRIOTIC Steve Caldwell believes becoming Sunderland captain is something he can handle. Why? His answer is simple: "I'm Scottish and I'm a centre-back.''

With Gary Breen suspended for today's visit of Wigan, caretaker boss Kevin Ball will not only recall Caldwell to the starting line-up, he will hand him the skipper's armband for his first game in charge.

The role, something that could become a more regular thing with Breen out of contract in the summer, is one which Caldwell has always thought he could step into at some stage of his career.

Even at Newcastle, as a raw teenager and young pro, he would regularly boss the likes of Alan Shearer and Gary Speed around on the pitch at a time when many others would duck for cover.

He has previously led Scotland Under-21s, Newcastle's youth team and Mick McCarthy handed him the armband for Carling Cup fixtures during his reign.

But now, under Ball, Caldwell has been afforded the responsibility of making sure the Sunderland squad are focused when they cross the white line at the Stadium of Light this afternoon - when everyone connected with the club is hoping McCarthy's removal does not have a negative affect on performances.

And the 25-year-old feels he is the ideal man to do just that. "It will be a very proud day for me captaining this football club and it was a great honour to be asked to do it," said Caldwell.

"I'm pleased to be captain and if it was to be longer, then great but I'm only worrying about this game, that's good enough for me.

"There's no more pressure because it is Kevin Ball's first game. That word pressure, I don't really feel it too much.

"Playing in front of crowds each week, you either thrive on that or you crumble and I think everybody here thrives on it. That's why you are a pro. I feel an added responsibility. I definitely do. Bossing the players is just something I do."

A Celtic fan during his childhood he suggests Roy Aitken, the now Aston Villa coach, was the greatest captain he has ever seen.

And, although Sunderland's plight at the foot of the Premiership is a lot different to the way Aitken would lead the Hoops to glory north of the border, Caldwell would love to show a little Aitken passion and direction in his own play.

"The best skipper I have ever seen was Scottish but I'm biased," said the Stirling-born centre-back. "Roy Aitken was the best ever, magnificent, he willed players into playing well.

"As Scots, we're an aggressive type of people anyway so it probably helps. We like to shout and rant. It can be in our make-up though I know some Scots who are as quiet as mice so it is just the person.

"I feel centre half is the best position to be captain but I'm not a manager. I have always felt that, whether that's because I play there I don't know but if you look around the best captains have been centre halves."

If Ball decides to allow the players to keep huddling before today's game then Caldwell is likely to be the man issuing the rallying cry.

That is not something new as he has often stepped forward, as others have done, when Breen has nominated someone to lead the huddle.

In light of the departure of McCarthy, this week's team hug before the match with Wigan could be as vital as the caretaker manager's teamtalk.

"It's been a strange five days," said Caldwell, brought to the club by McCarthy in the summer of 2004. "It's never great to be at a club when a manager goes, certainly a man like Mick who we have all got a lot of feelings for. It's been a pleasure working with him but life moves on and he'd be the first to say football moves on."

After leaning of McCarthy's demise and Ball's installation, the squad were given Tuesday off to gather their thoughts, and that didn't go to plan either. "I walked the dogs (two chocolate Labradors), went into town then had a fight with my wife unfortunately because I wasn't shopping enough and then I went home," he said.

"It was in the back of my mind obviously what had happened. I keep bringing it up but I'm sure he wants us to win and realises we're thinking as individuals about going forward and doing that as well.

"He will be delighted if we win on Saturday. We're a strange group of people, as footballers. We tend to move on and forget things really quickly. It's just the nature. Kevin Ball is now the gaffer and we're fully supportive of him."

Regardless of who is in charge the current crop remain nine points shy of the total that Sunderland were relegated with in 2003 - a Premier League record low.

And Caldwell insists nothing has changed. "Restoring pride is important and obviously we want to beat that 19 points," he said.

"In football you have to set yourself goals.

"It might not be achievable but it has to be there in the back of our minds. Our first goal is collecting three of those against Wigan."

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