Great Britain & England hockey announce three-captain structure

(Left to right) Phil Roper, George Pinner and Ian Sloan were voted in by their team-mates

Great Britain and England Hockey have a new three-man captaincy structure after Barry Middleton's decision to step aside after eight years as skipper.

George Pinner, Phil Roper and Ian Sloan were voted in by their fellow internationals and the new system was in place for this month's Sultan Azlan Shah Trophy, won by Great Britain.

"They were voted in as a result of their different qualities," said GB head coach Bobby Crutchley.

"I thank Barry for his leadership."

He added: "We are very fortunate to have him with us as one of the best players in the world, and I know his leadership qualities will be as prevalent as ever."

According to a statement from England Hockey, there was a "strong desire" for greater levels of player accountability, responsibility and shared ownership. As a result, Crutchley and the player group decided to name three captains instead of one.

The new captains

Goalkeeper George Pinner, 30: He has 118 caps for both England and Great Britain. Pinner was a reserve for the 2012 Olympic Games in London, and then played in every fixture in last year's Rio Games. The Holcombe player has four senior medals to his name, including bronze in the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Forward Phil Roper, 25: He has 59 caps and has scored 12 goals. Roper helped Wimbledon to national league titles in both 2015 and 2016, and has played for England in both World League finals. He also won Commonwealth Games bronze in Glasgow in 2014.

Midfielder Ian Sloan, 23: He was the youngest player in the GB squad in Rio, and has three goals from his 36 caps. Sloan has also played in the World League final and the Champions Trophy.