FRISCO – New year, new role for David Ferreira.

FC Dallas’ No. 10 will be the captain of the squad for the 2013 season.

“Yes, it’s an honor,” Ferreira said through a translator. “I’m very proud and very excited the coaching staff thought of me to be captain this season.”

Head coach Schellas Hyndman said the path to Ferreira’s captaincy began in 2012, when FCD experimented with various captains throughout the season due to Ugo Ihemelu’s concussion that kept him sidelined.

Hyndman thought Ferreira handled the duties well and pointed to a post-match talk from Ferreira on Sept. 29 in San Jose.

FC Dallas surrendered a late lead and wound up drawing the Earthquakes, 3-3. Three points would have propelled FCD into the playoff picture.

“They came back and tied us at the end and David had a lot to say to the team about that,” Hyndman said.

Hyndman asked the midfielder if he would consider being captain for 2013 in an end of season meeting in December and gave the player some time to think about it.

When Ferreira returned for his fifth FC Dallas season this week, he told Hyndman he would accept.

“It’s a huge responsibility for me,” Ferreira said. “Being captain, I’m the voice of the team to the coach.”

Ferreira said he would be a vocal leader on the field during matches. He said he likes to talk a lot, help his teammates and not be afraid to tell them where to be.

Hyndman said the Latino players have immense respect for Ferreira and the entire locker room looks at him as the team leader. Hyndman added that Ferreira, a native Spanish speaker, has been working on his English so language won’t be a barrier for other players.

“My first objective is to have the team get the results that we need,” Ferreira said. “I’m a leader for the group.”

Hyndman said he’s easing Ferreira into his new responsibilities – bringing him into conversations about the team and getting his input.

But Hyndman is confident Ferreira will succeed.

“You can be a leader vocally and you can be a leader by example,” Hyndman said. “I think David has proven he can do both.”