'Tactical' Horton given vice-captain role.

Horton's seniority has been vital amongst a number of younger players.

Peter Moores has explained the decision to appoint Paul Horton, the first vice-captain of the former
England coach's reign, as a good opportunity for the Lancashire opener to learn the duties of a leader, in preparation for his future at the club.

Horton captained the team on four occasions last season in the Championship and YB40 campaigns and his experience of the club has given him good reason to undertake the responsibilities given to him.

Horton made 645 runs in
just ten LVCC matches last year.

The 150th anniversary for the Red Rose county will be Horton's eleventh season at the club a feat few others at Lancashire are able to boast.

Coach, Peter Moores, said: “We just felt it was a chance to get Paul a bit more involved in the discussions we have to try and help him develop his leadership style.” 

“To be a good captain you need exposure. It will be good for Paul to be involved in some of the meetings me and Glen have. It gives him an opportunity.

“Captaincy is about leadership and sometimes making tough decisions, and this gives him more of a chance to tap into Glen’s knowledge. He’s been doing that anyway, but this just makes it more official.

“Vice captains are there to support the captain and be a key player within that dressing room to make sure it stays focused on the task in hand. He is a set of ears for the captain who finds out if there are any issues around. It’s a big role.

“Tactically, Paul is very sound. He’s got a good pedigree having captained sides at all stages of his career. It’s exciting for him and for us.”

Horton made three centuries in 2013 and captained
 Lancashire in their last two matches of the season.

Horton had a roller coaster season, missing a number of fixtures himself through a damaged finger, but was happy to oblige when Chapple was omitted through injury.

Certainly, the decision to give Horton the role of vice-captain suggests that he is part of the club's future plans, but Moores insists that no decisions have been made regarding Chapple's successor.

“He’s got a great chance, but that doesn’t mean he will be. You can’t say to somebody ‘you’re going to be the next captain of a club like Lancashire. 

"It’s a tough position. You look at some of the captains of this club, and it’s a hard position to earn. Glen played for a long time before he got given that chance.

“We still have a lot of people in that dressing room who will be ambitious to captain Lancashire, which is a great position for us to be in.”