The 24-year-old defender was told 90 minutes before kick-off that he was Graham Potter’s choice to replace the suspended Lewis Dunk in Monday’s 1-1 draw against West Brom.
It’s not a new experience for Webster, who captained his previous club Bristol City.
He said, “I thought I’d be one of the candidates to take over from Dunky so it was a nice moment for me and definitely an experience I will be better for.
“It’s weird because I probably wouldn’t have been the first choice as captain in my first season at Bristol City and it’s the same here. But obviously it’s my second season and I feel settled and can take on that extra responsibility.”
Asked if he was more vocal on the pitch than usual, he added, “It’s easier since we re-started with the ground empty to be more vocal because normally the person next to you can’t hear you never mind someone 40 yards away!”
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It is now more than four months since the Premier League re-started and Webster admits that the players are still finding it tough to play in empty stadiums.
“If you look at Monday’s game, it would have been a completely different challenge for West Brom when we went 1-0 up with 30,000 fans getting behind us, screaming and shouting and pushing us on. In that situation it becomes a much harder game for the opposition.
“We all realise now after four months of playing in empty stadiums that football without fans is nothing. Hopefully it won’t be too much longer before they are back.
“I still watch every game that’s on TV even without fans but some don’t have that spice they would if there were thousands of people screaming and shouting. It’s not the same and hopefully we can have fans back soon.”