 An urbane man, he became club captain in March 1980, and on his 400th appearance for the club, Lawrie McMenemy praised his "reliability, dependability and flexibility", adding that he was "a man for all seasons".Holmes was a constant when Southampton finished second in Division 1 in the 1983–84 season and was part of a midfield that was probably the best in the club's history.On 16 August 1986, Saints recognised his loyalty by awarding him a testimonial match against John Mortimore's Benfica, which was won 4–1, with Holmes scoring one of the goals.