17 July 2023 , 10:32
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A new Manchester United captain will be named shortly - but who will get the nod?
United boss Erik ten Hag stripped Harry Maguire of the armband on Sunday after the Englishman lost his place in the starting XI last season. The 30-year-old has admitted he's "extremely disappointed with the decision" and it's unclear where his future lies.
Bruno Fernandes captained United for most of last term and he could be Maguire's choice to take the armband. Speaking to the club's media team in 2021, Maguire was asked to name the leaders in the dressing room under previous manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Maguire named five players - Fernandes, Axel Tuanzebe, Nemanja Matic, Juan Mata and David de Gea. Fernandes is the only one of those five stars still at Old Trafford, with the other four leaving the club during Ten Hag's time in charge.
"It's something that did get brought up in the media, about leadership at this club - but for sure, it’s the best leadership group I’ve been involved in at a club," Maguire told the UTD Podcast in 2021. "We have a lot of leaders in the dressing room, a lot of senior pros.
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"And you don’t have to be a senior pro to be a leader. Axel is a leader, in the ways that he works and speaks in the dressing room. And he’s only a young boy, he’s still learning his trade - I’m sure he’ll go on to have an unbelievable career.
"I think we have a lot of leaders. There’s Bruno, who has come in and made a massive impact at the club, results-wise but also off the field. Nemanja, Juan, David - they’ve been at the club a while now. There’s definitely a lot of leaders in the dressing room."
Bruno Fernandes is likely to be Erik ten Hag's new captain (Getty Images)Who do you think the next Manchester United captain should be? Let us know in the comments below!
Matic and Mata were handed free transfers by Ten Hag after his appointment a year ago, while Tuanzebe and De Gea were released this summer. Maguire could also complete a transfer shortly, with West Ham, Tottenham, Newcastle and Chelsea interested.
Fernandes is the favourite to be named United's captain, with Casemiro also in the frame. A new skipper is likely to be announced before United's pre-season friendly against Premier League rivals Arsenal in the United States on Saturday.
Maguire revealed his axing as captain on social media. He wrote: "After discussions with the manager today, he has informed me he is changing captain.
"He outlined his reasons to me and whilst I’m personally extremely disappointed, I will continue to give my all every time I wear the shirt. So I wanted to say a massive thank you to the Man Utd fans for all their brilliant support whilst I’ve been wearing the armband.
"Since the day I took on the role, three-and-a-half years ago, it’s been a huge privilege to lead Man Utd and one of the proudest moments of my career to date. It’s one of the greatest honours in club football.
"I’ve done everything I possibly could to help United be successful - on and off the field. I will always be grateful to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for first giving me the responsibility and I wish whoever now takes it on every success and they will have my full support."