FC Halifax Town: King has no qualms about Roberts taking the arm-band

King began the season as captain, but found himself out of the side due to a lack of fitness and form.

But despite the rejuvenated midfielder now reclaiming his place in the team after a frustrating spell on the sidelines, he has no qualms about Roberts retaining the arm-band.

“I told Bill (Heath, manager) that the captain needs to be playing consistently - I’m a firm believer in that,” he said.

“I’ve been on the bench for a month, so for me it goes without saying Robbo takes over from now on. I’m fine with that.

“I think Robbo’s done a great job and he deserves to stay captain, which I told him.

“But as long as the team’s winning it doesn’t matter who’s captain.”

King has had a mixed campaign so far, flitting in and out of form and struggling to hold down a regular starting place due to a niggling back problem.

“I’ve been playing well in the last few games,” King reflected. “I came back too soon when I had that back injury at the start of the season but that was just me wanting to play football.

“It probably stands out a mile that I’m moving better and getting about a lot. I’m enjoying it.

“I missed the first nine games and I played at Telford not having had a training session. When you’ve missed two months of football and you come straight in like that, it’s hard work.

“I couldn’t do anything outside of training either because when it’s your back you can’t do anything. I went from not being able to move when I went to bed to where I am now.

“A lot of it is in your head. When you have that long out with the injury I had it’s hard. You go from lying in a bed all day like an old man to where I am now.

“I think being on the bench for that month helped - I went off and did my own bits at home, whereas I was constantly chasing my own tail when I was playing week-in, week out, and you can only do so much.

“I feel fresh and let’s hope I can keep putting the performances in for the rest of the season.

“I think that month out actually did me good and I’ll admit I feel a lot better than I did. I’m getting forward, making my runs and helping the team.

“I’m getting there but there’s more to come.”

The former North Ferriby captain scored the winner in Town’s 1-0 victory against Altrincham earlier this month, one of five goals from 26 appearances this season,

King feels his own improvement mirrors that of the team after what he described as their “rock-bottom” result at strugglers Stalybridge, when Town lost 1-0 in January on a day when cries of ‘Heath out’ were heard from the travelling Halifax supporters.

“Watching on from the sides it was shocking, you’re never really going to get any lower than that,” King said.

“But credit to the lads, we’ve turned it round.

“We’ve been here before where we’ve been on a good run and it’s all gone wrong again, so we need to keep pushing on now.

“It’s doing the right things and not getting carried away with yourself.

“It’s the simple things that win you games at this level.

“You can be as flair as you like but as long as you get the basics right you’ll be in with a great chance of doing well, and that’s what we’ve been doing lately.

“We’re in the top five now and our challenge is we’ve got to stay there.

“We keep going in and out, in and out (of the play-off places) but we need to be consistently in there like Kidderminster and Fylde have been. That’s how you have to be.

“We’ve got a great squad, a lot of lads are back from injury now so it’s all looking good.”