CHARLTON new boy Alan McCormack was thrilled to be named stand-in skipper for the Addicks’ 1-1 draw at home to Oldham on Saturday.

McCormack, 26, only signed last month from Southend United but was selected by manager Phil Parkinson to lead the side into battle while official club captain Christian Dailly served a one-game suspension.

And the Irish midfield general, who’d already taken the shirt number 16 in tribute to his idol Roy Keane, was both shocked and honoured to be able to take a further step in Keano’s footsteps so soon into his Valley career.

He admitted: “To come to a club like this and be given the armband in such a short time is a massive honour and a privilege for me.

“I was excited when the gaffer called me out and I was proud to lead the team out, at a club like this it’s something I didn’t dream of doing so early in my career.

“Christian Dailly was unfortunate to miss out today and I think everybody knows that he’s the man to lead the team and we should have eleven players out there leading it.

“Wearing the armband is great but if you’ve got eleven players being leaders then you’ve got a great chance of winning the game.”

The game against the Latics, a tense and physical 1-1 stalemate, was marred towards the end by a red card for Jason Jarrett – followed by a fiery altercation kicked off by Jarrett aiming the ball at the Charlton dugout.

But McCormack feels the entire scenario was an avoidable one so late on in the game, though he couldn’t condone the reaction of his former Preston North End comrade.

Macca explained: “I don’t think any player has the right to go and smash a ball into the opposition dugout, regardless of what they say.

“He’d been sent off very harshly, the referee didn’t need to and I tried to tell the ref that he’s already on a yellow from the first half.

“I think Reidy stumbled more than anything, I don’t think he tried to foul him deliberately.

“There’s too many sending-offs in the game without the referee feeling that he’s got to send a man off for committing that foul, common sense is going to tell you to leave them on the pitch as you’re just making life harder for the other team.

“I know JJ from Preston and it’s not in his character to do that but it still doesn’t give you the right to smash the ball at people, but hopefully the FA won’t come down too hard on him.”