Captain is Hotte for Gainsborough

Hotte, 31, arrived in the summer from Alfreton Town and has previously played for Halifax, North Ferriby and Bradford PA.

He said: “I am buzzing to be made captain and honoured to be given the responsibility here at Gainsborough.

“I’m really looking forward to getting started now. With the team we have got, we have to be looking at the play-offs as a minimum.

“The playoffs can be something of a lottery once you are there, but it’s got to be our minimum target.”

He succeeds manager Liam King, who was captain of the Holy Blues before hanging up his boots in the spring.

King said: “Nathan is a born leader. It’s not an unfamiliar role for him, he is exactly the type of professional character Ross and I believe should captain the football club.

“We actually had a lot of candidates in the camp and that’s what we were looking for in our recruitment. We wanted strong, experienced characters within the dressing room – and the fact that Ross and I had such a tough decision in deciding on the captain is testament to the quality we have within the camp.

“Hotte is a new voice in the dressing room and he’ll be a big influence both on and off the field, leading by example.”

Gainsborough rounded off their pre-season campaign with a goalless draw against Cleethorpes Town at the weekend.