Mullins names Cameron as Newport club captain

Kyle Cameron signed for Newport County after his contract expired at Bromley, where he played 18 times in their promotion winning campaign. [Huw Evans Picture Agency] Kyle Cameron has been named Newport County captain just six weeks after returning to the club, having previously spent the 2016-17 season with the Exiles. Ahead of Newport's competitive opener on Saturday at League One side AFC Wimbledon in the EFL Cup, head coach Hayden Mullins confirmed the 29-year-old defender will wear the armband. "Kyle will be club captain this season," said Mullins. "He knows the club. He brings a lot of organisation on the pitch. "He brings a lot of what we need to get through to the players and he does it really well. Off the pitch he's brilliant as well, so we've got him and a couple more vice-captains around him which will help us with the younger players in the squad." Mullins added that Cameron possesses "excellent leadership skills", something the defender believes he has developed throughout his career. "I've been quite privileged in my career to have that role at multiple clubs, so to come here and step into that role straight away, I'm very happy and feel really privileged," said Cameron. "I've grown and developed how I do things over the years and we've got quite a young group here, so it's about encouraging the lads and making sure we're all on the same page." Cameron arrives with significant EFL experience, having made more than 100 League Two appearances. Last season he helped Bromley win the League Two title, scoring twice in 18 appearances as the champions kept 16 clean sheets on their way to promotion. The Scot sees leading Newport, a club he first represented as a 19-year-old, as an "honour". "It's a long time ago since I've been here, so I think I'm a completely different player to what I was when I was 19," he added. "I've had a lot of good experiences and a lot of tough experiences over the last few years, so hopefully they all come in handy and we can get the good times going here and do something really good." Asked what being captain means to him, Cameron said: "It's about getting around everyone, encouraging them and trying to create a positive group to work with every day." Mullins' main message since arriving in south Wales Hayden Mullins has named Kyle Cameron as his Newport County captain ahead of the new League Two season. [Huw Evans Picture Agency] Newport's new captain has actually spent more time at the club than the new man in the dugout Mullins, with the former Fulham Under-21s coach only taking charge on the eve of the Exiles' pre-season fixture at Yeovil Town. But Cameron says Mullins has wasted little time in outlining his vision. "Win games of football, that's what he's come to do," said Cameron. "No matter how we have to do that, as long as we're doing that, that's the main aim, which is what you want to hear. "He's said the right things and he's making it very clear how he wants us to play." The defender added that settling back into life in south Wales had been "quite easy". "Especially in the lower leagues, every couple of years there seems to be a big turnover of players and teams. For me it was just about coming in, getting on with the lads and becoming comfortable as quick as I can, and I feel like I've done that." 'Absolutely' not another season like last year Cameron marked his second appearance at Rodney Parade by heading home Harrison Biggins' corner against Italian giants Roma in Tuesday's friendly, yet he was left frustrated by the 4-1 defeat. "In the first half we were probably the better team, and we should have had a couple of goals," he said. "I'm glad to get my account open nice and early and I think it's probably the least we deserved. If anything, we should have had more." Despite Newport's struggles last season, Cameron believes there is reason for optimism. "I think we've got a good mixture of young and old and some good young lads coming through as well," he said. "We've got to aim as high as we possibly can. There'll be more lads coming in, whether that's permanent or loans, to strengthen the squad. "I think we can be positive about this year and after 10 games you'll get a good idea of what we can really do." The defender also urged supporters to back the team as Newport begin a new era under Mullins with his first competitive game at Plough Lane on Saturday, 8 August (1500 BST) "New group, new ambitions. We want a positive outlook on the season and we want the fans to be there in numbers, home and away. "With that, hopefully we can put on some really good performances that the fans can be proud of."