Oldham have confirmed that midfielder Dean Furman will take their captain's armband for the new season. Latics manager Paul Dickov selected the South African as his new skipper, praising Furman's leadership skills even before he was named captain. The 23-year-old replaces Reuben Hazell, who has joined Shrewsbury. Dickov explained: "Though Dean didn't have the armband last season, he was a leader both on and off the pitch. "Dean leads by example in the way he trains and also handles himself away from the game. He is a credit to himself and, if every player were like him, my job would be a lot easier than it is. "He also commands great respect from the players and, had there been a vote among them, I am sure they would have chosen Dean to become captain." The Latics boss added that he liked that the former Rangers man is prepared to give his opinion. He continued: "I didn't want a 'yes' man and Dean is certainly not that. "When I learned Reuben was leaving, Dean was somebody who immediately came to mind and he was the obvious replacement." Former Chelsea youngster Furman also had a spell at Bradford City.
