Joe Worrall has been billed as a “future Nottingham Forest captain” and it could be that the armband is passed his way in 2020-21.
At 22 years of age, the commanding centre-half has already taken on that responsibility.
During a Carabao Cup second round clash with Derby, a home-grown star got the chance to lead the Reds into battle.
A proud moment delivered a fairytale ending, with Worrall lifting the Brian Clough Trophy at the end of a 3-0 win.
That outing was, however, a case of him providing cover as skipper.
With Michael Dawson rested, somebody needed to step up.
Another in-form performer at the heart of the back four got the nod.
Players in that position do, of course, tend to be the best fit for leadership roles.
Character, though, also has to be taken into consideration
Worrall is a big one and despite his relatively limited experience, he has already shown himself to be capable of inspiring others.
Challenge
Original Images: Nottingham Forest/Graphic Design: Beth Davenport
Never one to shy away from a challenge, the Nottingham native is prepared to speak his mind.
He is, in many ways, a clone of Dawson.
Two men separated by 13 years in age are both products of a famed academy system on Trentside.
The older of the two once spent time working alongside captain Des Walker before being entrusted with opportunities to skipper the side himself at a young age.
And Worrall is expected to make the job is own.
Reds legend Kenny Burns has said in the Nottingham Post: “When Worrall was with Rangers last season he had a mistake in him. He made errors, but he learned from them by the looks of it.
“You got the impression he wanted to be at Forest last season, not Rangers, but he should have taken so much from the experience.
“The standard in Scotland isn’t great, but there’s real expectation and scrutiny playing for such a big club like that and Old Firm derbies are second only to international games in terms of pressure.
“Worrall is a lot like Dawson in terms of attitude. He’s a future Nottingham Forest captain.”
Commitment
There is certainly no questioning Worrall’s commitment to the cause.
He is already tied to a contract through to 2022 but returned to his roots over the summer saying in the Post: “I definitely want to be here when the new stadium is finished.
“I have a couple of years left on my contract and I want to be here for as long as I can; to play as many games as I can.”
At the opposite end of the scale, Dawson is into the final 12 months of his deal.
He will turn 36 in November and may decide to make 2019-20 his swansong.
If that is the case, with a coaching role of some description awaiting him, then the captain’s armband will be back up for grabs.
Worrall, with another season under his belt, would surely come into the equation.
If he is able to maintain the standards he is setting at present, then there is no reason why he couldn’t become skipper for many years to come.
It is on him to prove himself worth of such a standing, but a serious claim is being staked to be the man that leads Forest into next season, a revamped stadium and beyond.