Kevin Keegan has jokingly told Shaun Goater the Manchester City fans should change the words of their famous song, `Feed the Goat'.

After spurning a number of first-half chances against Grimsby on Saturday, the City boss said he had a word with the Bermudian striker at the break.

"I said to Shaun at half-time that they would have to change the words of the song to `Feed the Goat and he might score'," Keegan said.

Goater did get on the scoresheet in the 2-0 victory with a last minute strike to take his tally for the season to a magnificent 21, but the manager is not letting him rest on his laurels.

"Shaun missed three great chances before he got what was his most difficult chance of the day. He could have had four with a tap-in which came off a defender's legs and then a header which he put just wide!" Keegan said before adding: "The thing I like about Shaun Goater more than anything is his ability to get into situations and if he misses a chance he certainly doesn't go hiding. He is there to miss them for us and also to score them and that was his 21st of the season which is a lot of goals."

The 31-year-old captained the team for the first time in a league match in the absence of the injured Stuart Pearce and Steve Howey.

He relished the responsibility and Keegan is set to continue with the striker as skipper for the foreseeable future.

"Shaun is a leader, but he is not one of those that shouts," the boss said. "The lads respect him, the younger players and the older ones, and he leads by example.

"I thought he led the line well today. He did all the things which were asked of him and he was the natural choice to take the armband.

"He has a nice way about him and gets his message across without banging the table or throwing cups, he did very well."

City play Millwall tonight in a First Division clash and Goater was travelling with the team yesterday. As a result the On the Ball with Shaun Goater column will appear later in the week.