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‘A big honour’ - Malick Thiaw honest on taking Newcastle United captaincy after Bruno Guimaraes Matthias Jaissle named Malick Thiaw as captain in his first game as Newcastle United manager. Malick Thiaw has opened up about the “honour” of captaining Newcastle United against Valencia. While not officially announced as skipper, Matthias Jaissle handing his compatriot the armband was a potential sign of things to come. Thiaw barely put a foot wrong at the heart of defence before being substituted on 73 minutes for Henry Johnson. A new manager and captain will give Newcastle a fresh feel ahead of the new campaign. Guiding the team to a 2-1 win over Valencia did little to harm Thiaw’s chances of fulfilling the role permanently. The Gazette has launched a WhatsApp NUFC channel to bring the latest news, analysis and team & injury updates directly to your phone. Simply click this link to join our NUFC WhatsApp channel. ‘A big honour’ - Matthias Jaissle “It was a big, big honour and a pleasure as well for me, to coach in this class today,” Thiaw said after leading the side. “If you give me this (responsibility), I'll try to do my best in the role, to lead the other guys as well. “It's not just the captain (who leads), it's not just the skipper. But yeah, I'm really happy and honoured to be here today for the first time. If you want to lead, you have to perform first of all. But of course, the vocal part is there as well, so you have to be positive. “Also, if some things are not good, you have to confront them and speak with the team clearly about it. So if I'm the captain or not, we have a lot of players who can do this and be in this role to lead the team.” Malick Thiaw positive on new season Despite losing several top players, Thiaw remains positive that Newcastle can enjoy a successful campaign. He also accepts that the Magpies failed to deliver in the Premier League last season. “We're really optimistic,” Thiaw added. “Looking straight at what we can achieve, what we can improve. I think today (against Valencia) was a really a good test of all the things that we can improve. All the other staff as well, they're all really, really positive and they're really looking forward to it. “Every coach has a lot of ideas. There are always some stuff that is different. He has a clear structure, a clear plan, how he wants to press, how he wants to go quickly to the opponent's goal. “The intensity is really, really high. But it's just the first week. There are still a lot of things coming. Last season wasn't the best, especially in the Premier League. We had the quality to perform much, much better. This season is the same, so I think as a new customer we should always aim for better, especially like last season. “So it's the same this season. We're going to be motivated into the season. You know what, we have to do better, especially with this team now, with the new ideas. I think there's always a new feeling of, ‘Ok, there's something going on now, so let's take it and go for it’.” Your next Newcastle United read: 'Didn't and couldn't' - Kieran Trippier takes aim at Bruno Guimaraes after Newcastle United x Arsenal transfer