BALA Town FC have appointed their new club captain for the upcoming season following the departure of Kieran Smith.

Nathan Peate will pick-up the armband for the upcoming season as he enters his fifth season with the Lakesiders.

Peate joined the club in July 2020 and made his competitive debut in their UEFA Europa League First Qualifying Round match against Maltese side Valletta which turned out to be a historic night for the Town, after a 1-0 win took them into the Second Qualifying Round for the first time in their history.

The 33-year-old will captain the side in a competitive match for the first time in the First Leg of their UEFA Conference League first qualifying round clash against Paide Linnameeskond at Park Hall on Thursday, 11 July.

Bala announced back in April that Smith would depart the club at the end of his contract this summer.

He called time on his footballing career after two spells spanning 11 years at Maes Tegid, and now holds the record number of appearances in all competitions for the club having surpassed Ashley Morris' 261 appearances in February 2023.

During his time with the Lakesiders, Smith featured in seven out of eight European campaigns for the Town and registered 14 appearance in both the Europa League and Europa Conference League.