NEW Lancashire skipper Stuart Law admits it is important that a young successor is groomed to take the captaincy once he hangs up his boots.

The 39-year-old Australian took over the captain's role last Thursday and will look to bring the County Championship back to Old Trafford for the first time since 1934.

But a vice-captain has yet to be appointed, with Law suggesting that the position may be looked into once he returns from playing in the inaugural Indian Cricket League in January.

The veteran batsman has intimitated that he may not need a number two, but he admits Lancashire must look ahead and identify a potential future captain for the moment he retires.

"I'm away until the end of January. Then we can sit down and work out whether we need one (vice-captain)," said Law.

"The captain is the one who makes the decisions but there should be 11 captains out there making choices and trying to get the game done and dusted for the team.

"Every captain's got a duty to look after the younger players coming in and there's some brilliant talent coming through in this cricket team.

"Paul Horton had a fantastic season and now he's about to embark on probably the toughest season of his career.

"Gareth Cross and Steven Croft have still got steps to take, but in those three you see a lot of potential, not only on the playing field but also in leadership.

"If it does mean you are grooming someone in those ranks, that's your job as a team player.

"But it's not just me, it's all the senior players in the dressing room.

"They have to groom the youngsters - they are the future of the club.

"With what the cricket manager (Mike Watkinson) brings to the table as well, hopefully we can mould a tough but fair leader."

Watkinson agrees that grooming a long-term successor for Law would be ideal, with the Queenslander hitting his 40th birthday next October.

"With Stuart's age, it's obvious he is not going to be doing it for the next 10 seasons," said Watkinson "It's going to be a year at a time and it will be nicer in that period if a young successor came along to perhaps apprentice what he's doing a little bit and take the same values forward."