Enzo Perez has admitted that he was "surprised" to be handed the Valencia captaincy this season.

The Argentine midfielder, who was limited to just 11 La Liga appearances last term due to injury, only joined Los Che from Benfica in January 2015.

However, the 30-year-old was handed the armband by head coach Pako Ayestaran after Paco Alcacer made the move to Barcelona in the latter stages of the summer transfer window.

"I never imagined that I'd be given the captaincy, it surprised me," Perez told reporters. "It's a role that requires hard work and the respect of your teammates, so I'm really looking forward to it. Being the captain of Valencia is an honour and a privilege."

Valencia currently sit bottom of La Liga after losing their opening two matches of the 2016-17 campaign.