Atletico Madrid striker Alvaro Morata is proud to have been named Spain captain.

Three of the players who wore the armband at the last World Cup (Sergi Busquets, Koke and Jordi Alba) do not feature in Luis de la Fuente's first list as Spain coach.

In line with tradition, the player with the most caps at international level takes over captaining the side and Morata, with 61 appearances, is the most experienced member of the squad.

“I'm happy. I am proud to be the captain of the national team," says Morata, who added that his mission is “to help newcomers settle in and serve the team."

Rodri (39 caps) and Dani Carvajal (33 caps) will be the other two captains alongside Morata. The Manchester City midfielder made his senior debut for the national team four years after Carvajal, but has played a more prominent role since then while the Real Madrid right-back has missed a number of games due to injury or technical decision.