Lee Cattermole is leading the fight for Sunderland's Premier League survival, according to team-mate DeAndre Yedlin.
Sunderland are four points from safety after losing against Leicester City on the weekend, but Yedlin said with Cattermole in the team, no-one is short of motivation to keep battling.
"There are guys you look to a little bit and they've been great for that, especially Lee Cattermole. I think he's taken a big leadership role," he told the Chronicle.
"They're the kind of guys you look to for guidance but you also have to look to yourselves. We know the situation and we know what we need to do."
Cattermole is a previous captain of Sunderland, before being stripped of the armband by former manage Paolo Di Canio, but has once again become a central figure under Sam Allardyce.
While Yedlin said the team looks to Cattermole for inspiration, the club remains in a lot of trouble.
"It's a really tough position but I think we've shown big improvements from the middle of the season. We need to improve or weaknesses and strengthen our strengths," the on-loan Tottenham player said.
"In the Premier League a little half a second can punish you and you just have to be focused for all 90 or 95 minutes, whatever it may be.
"We're not in the best situation right now but we're not in complete turmoil so there's definitely still confidence there and I think with the belief of the fans and their support they carry us along. I have complete confidence in this team.
"We all have belief. We have to.
"You've just got to take it game by game, look to the guys who have been there before for a bit of leadership and look within yourself. We know what we need to do, we have to go out and do it."
