Kevin Keen: "I do think there is a possibility of a future captain in Claudio ... - Birmingham Mail

That's according to Baggies assistant boss Kevin Keen, who feels the Argentina international has the necessary characteristics to be a skipper.

Yacob has impressed all at The Hawthorns with the way he has adapted to Premier League football since his move from Racing Club last summer.

And Keen feels that once the 25-year-old has a better grasp of English - he is currently having lessons - he will bring even more to Steve Clarke's side.

"I can see sometimes in training that he's really wanting to say some things and he can't quite communicate that at the moment.

"But he is working really hard at his English and I think within six months he will be able to get his ideas over a lot better.

"Occasionally we hear him talk a little bit, and I think when he becomes a bit more communicative in English his role within the team will progress even more because I think having been captain of Racing Club, I think he's got ideas and leadership qualities about him that will progress even more when his English becomes even better."

Keen continued: "He got a little bit of publicity earlier in the season but then he was out for quite a while with injury and the team missed him.

"But hopefully between now and the end of the season, if he can stay fine physically, he can contribute to us getting our best finish ever."

Yacob's covering abilities have given Albion's full-backs - Goran Popov or Liam Ridgewell on the left, Steven Reid or Billy Jones on the right - more licence to get forward.

"It's 35 degrees back home and he is standing, looking out of the window and shaking his head saying 'Kevin, what is this?'

"For me he has come into the group as the type of player that the head coach was looking for and the role he has played in the team has been very effective alongside the other midfield players who have played most of the season, Youssouf and James.

"The three of them have been a core element of the success we've had this year with Claudio coming in and playing that holding role and being simple with his play but very clever with his breaking up of the opposition's play.

"They (full-backs) know that when they go forward they've got someone there who thinks 'Billy's gone, I'll just drift a little bit that way in case we lose it'.