Warburton is no stranger to having a leadership role, having captained Wales and also leading from the front for the Blues - helping them finish this RaboDirect PRO12 season in ninth.
And after sharing a room with him at the first training camp in Wales, 2009 Lions captain Paul O'Connell admits he has been impressed by Warburton's maturity.
"I was 25 on the 2005 Lions tour to New Zealand and was probably a lot more naive than Sam. He's quite a wise guy, wise beyond his years," 33-year-old O'Connell said.
"I haven't spoken to Sam directly about the captaincy. Last week we chatted non-stop about all manner of things.
"It's important that he knows myself, [2005 captain] Brian O'Driscoll and all of the senior players are there for him.
"He's a very relaxed guy and confident in his own ability.
"He's been very successful with Wales and it's important we back him as much as we can, but I don't think he'll need a whole lot of it."
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