JAMES Percival has lifted the lid on what makes him tick and how he has adapted since being made Worcester Warriors skipper.

While fellow lock Dean Schofield remains as club captain at Sixways, Percival has become head coach Richard Hill go-to man to lead the team on match-days.

The former Northampton and Harlequins second row, who began his career in the Worcester academy, admits he has had to make big changes to his approach, but relishes the opportunity.

He explained: “I guess it has changed my role a little bit. I’m not as self-focused — before I was captain, I would normally put my earphones in and go into my shell.

“Now I’ll be around the boys and have a think in the week about what to say.

“I’d be driving home and thinking about what I’m going to say to everyone — it spins in my head.

“I’ll sit in my car and listen to some evoking music and think of things.

“I’m quite a deep thinker inside, I’m always thinking, so it has changed the way I do things quite a lot to be honest and on the pitch I like to think I’m a bit more responsible now.

“Every captain does a team talk differently.

“Some are more relaxed about it, but I’m pretty emotional, I normally speak from my heart and say what I think.

“People might catch a bit on television now and again and there’s usually a few swear words. I like to get the boys going.

”Obviously, Dean is still club captain and will remain club captain, but as long as Hilly wants me as captain in the games I will give everything I can to the role — it means a lot to me.”

Percival is never one to dwell on his own personal performances, instead favouring to focus on how the team has done, which marks him out as good captaincy material.

He added: “I never finish a game of rugby and think I’ve had a good one to be honest. I’m pretty bad at beating myself up after every game. I over-analyse myself.

“My wife has to sit me down after most games and have a chat with me about analysing stuff and thinking about how I’ve done.

“I just want to play well for the club and I do give everything I’ve got.

“There’s been games where I’ve been knackered or carrying niggles and haven’t been able to play as well as I could.

“As long as the team does well, then that’s all that matters to me. It’s all about Worcester for me.”