JOHN CARVER thinks Newcastle United’s dressing room is in desperate need of a leader to unite a dressing room to take the club in to a brighter future.

The Magpies head coach, who does not know if he will be still in the job beyond this season, thinks the naming of a new captain could be important if he lands the job on a longer term basis in the summer.

Current skipper Fabricio Coloccini is due back from suspension for this Sunday’s visit of Tottenham to St James’ Park, but two of his deputies – Moussa Sissoko (banned) and Cheik Tiote (injury) – will not be around to call on.

Carver feels Newcastle, who had Geordie hero and legend Alan Shearer wearing the captain’s armband for years before the passionate Kevin Nolan took it on, could do with another character in the mould leading the team on and off the pitch.

“It's a good point and it's something that has to be addressed by the football club,” said Carver. “We need to give the captaincy to somebody who is responsible, who is a leader. The players will follow a leader, and they have to have discipline on and off the pitch.

“In the 80s and the 90s, your captain ran your dressing room for you. I know it's changed now – you ask anybody in any football club, it's all changed now, but that's how it was and that's how it should be, in my opinion.

“I shouldn't have to go in there and manage that dressing room – that's what your captains are there for. But there are not many of them out there now. We do things differently. But they have to lead by example. When you are the captain of a football club, then you have to do things right.”

Carver was not intentionally criticising Coloccini because he suggested that it was more a modern football problem rather than a St James’ Park one.

He said: “I think the country is missing that type, I really do. I really think the Premier League hasn't got that type of player any more. I think it's a generational thing and we have moved on and we are in, I genuinely believe it, a different situation.

“You sit with managers and coaches afterwards and they are all looking for a leader, they are all looking for a captain, and I don't think they are there anymore, not many of them, anyway.”

Carver would review the captaincy if he was kept on in the post beyond the summer, but he has no problems with handing the armband back to Coloccini for the remaining matches of the season. The South American was sent off for a ridiculous challenge at Everton on March 15.

Carver said: “If it was me, I'd want to prove a point. If it was me who had been sent off and I was the captain of the football club, I'd want to perform for the next six games, because I have been sent off and we've had to reshuffle the back four because of it.

“He has been with us and other than the game at the weekend [Liverpool], he has been at every game. He came to the derby game – he was in the dressing room beforehand – he has been there and very, very supportive.

“He's a top professional. I think he will put in a big performance because he is captain of this football club and he will be disappointed at what's happened. He'll not want to see this team struggle like they did a few seasons ago and end up in the Championship.”

Newcastle are nine points above the relegation zone with six matches remaining so a return to the Championship would seem unlikely at this stage. If Newcastle can preserve top-flight status again, though, Carver thinks Daryl Janmaat has shown in the last few games how capable he is of being the leader of the group.

The head coach said: “I'd be tempted, yes, because he's a proper leader. He's got character, strength, he's good around the dressing room. Whatever you ask him to do, he'll do and he has a good presence around the place. He leads by example, and that's what you need a captain to do.

“You’ve got to keep your best players for as long as you can. And Daryl has been outstanding. This is his first year in the Premier League and he’s been outstanding, whatever position he’s played in. It’s important we keep him.”