8 players to replace axed Harry Maguire as Man Utd captain

Erik ten Hag has a long list of potential skippers after stripping Harry Maguire of the armband.

No one should have been surprised by the news that Harry Maguire is no longer the captain of Manchester United.

The defender was only skipper in name after slipping all the way down the pecking order to fifth-choice centre-back last season, and it had long been reported that Erik ten Hag was going to officially strip him of the armband this summer.

Maguire had been an able if unremarkable captain during the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer years and was particularly important in United’s run to second place and the Europa League final in the 2020–21 season.

But after his form dramatically declined over the next two campaigns, there were always going to be doubts about his position in the long term.

And it made no sense for a player who started only eight Premier League matches last season to have such a prestigious role.

Indeed, Maguire was only brought on in the Carabao Cup final against Newcastle so that he could lift the trophy. That was a nice touch from Ten Hag, but it also served to highlight the fact that Maguire was no longer a suitable captain due to his declining presence in the team.

Maguire didn’t even get on the pitch in the FA Cup final against Manchester City, and towards the end of the season, Ten Hag started to refer to Bruno Fernandes as captain even though the England defender was still officially skipper.

Fernandes is the No. 1 candidate to succeed Maguire permanently, but there are a number of other contenders for the role. GOAL runs through the choices.

Mason Mount 

Mount probably saw himself spending most of his career at Chelsea. But the relationship soured as the club focused on making as many new signings as possible without looking after one of their own.

Mount was determined to move to United and seems utterly delighted to be there. It would be a bold choice to give the club’s brand new signing the armband, but it would also be a huge vote of confidence in the midfielder and give him responsibility early in his Old Trafford career.

Christian Eriksen 

Eriksen’s career was practically written off after he suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch at Euro 2020, with Inter ending his contract soon after.

But Brentford took a chance on him, and a few months later, the Dane made the biggest move of his life by joining United.

The midfielder took no time to settle into the team and formed a formidable axis in the middle of the park with Fernandes and Casemiro.

Few players in the squad can match his wealth of experience, and it takes a hell of a lot of character to rebuild your career the way he has. He is certainly captain material.

Luke Shaw 

Shaw is United’s longest-serving player now that David de Gea has departed. And that would be enough to make him captain at many of Europe’s top sides.

The left-back is a leading voice for club and country, as well as being one of the team’s most consistent performers. He is also fully committed to United after recently signing a new contract until 2027.

Raphael Varane 

You can’t argue with the Frenchman’s CV: four Champions Leagues, three La Liga titles, and a World Cup winner’s medal. Varane has seen it all, working with some of the best managers in football, including Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti, Zinedine Zidane, and Rafa Benitez.

He is not a tub-thumping leader, but he has always done his talking on the pitch and led by example. He is also fluent in three languages, making him a suitable captain for a modern, international dressing room such as United’s.

Lisandro Martinez

“We have to fight more than the opponent; we have to play with more passion; we have to play with more energy.”

Those were Martinez’s words after United’s 2-0 defeat to Newcastle in April, which threatened to derail their bid to finish in the top four. And they were music to the ears of United fans, who were shocked by their team’s meek surrender at St. James’ Park.

Martinez might not be the tallest player in United’s squad, but he is never afraid of rising to the challenge.

Just a few weeks into last season and only a couple of months after joining from Ajax, he emerged as one of the most influential players in the United dressing room. And he proved a dominant presence in Argentina’s World Cup-winning squad.

Martinez plays with courage, and it was no coincidence that the team really struggled in the final six weeks of the season following his metatarsal injury.

He has worked alongside Ten Hag for the last four years, and now that he is back to full fitness, he would be more than ready to take on more responsibility and wear the armband.

Casemiro 

The Brazilian might have had little knowledge of the English language when he arrived at United, but it took him no time at all to impose his authority on his new team. He spoke the language of football, and few players are more proficient in that tongue than Casemiro.

The fact that he had spent eight years at Real Madrid and won five Champions League titles with Los Blancos certainly helped his cause, as did his decade of experience with Brazil.

He brought his desire, hunger, and ambition to Old Trafford, and it quickly rubbed off on his new teammates, instantly raising standards.

He goes into every tackle as if his life depends on getting the ball, and United have not had a midfielder with his quality since Roy Keane. The Irishman proved to be a pretty good captain, and there’s no reason why Casemiro wouldn’t be either.

Bruno Fernandes

If you want proof of Fernandes’ commitment to the club, look at how he shook off a painful foot injury in the FA Cup semi-final against Brighton after he had been pictured using crutches and wearing a protective boot.

However, just four days later, he was back in the starting line-up against Tottenham and played with early-season energy, producing a stunning all-round display as well as delivering a dream assist for Marcus Rashford.

Fernandes is the natural choice to succeed Maguire after wearing the armband for most of last season in the defender’s absence.

There is no doubting his desire or his ability to inspire his teammates. But his leadership tactics do not always have the desired effect.

His tendency to throw his arms up in the air and complain when things are going against United often leads to his teammates looking more despondent, and that was never truer than in the shocking 7-0 thrashing by Liverpool at Anfield.

Fernandes managed to overcome that debacle and prove his worth to Ten Hag in the remainder of the season, but perhaps United need a different type of leadership for the coming campaign.

Marcus Rashford

Who better to lead the team out of the tunnel than the man who has spent his life with the club? Born and raised in Wythenshawe, south Manchester, and on United’s books since the age of seven, Rashford has United running through his veins.

As well as being one of the most talented and consistent players in Ten Hag’s squad, he is the ideal club ambassador.

He showed tremendous courage to take on the Conservative government during the pandemic, fighting for children’s rights to free school meals over the holidays.

He has also battled to get his career back on track. After a hugely disappointing 2021-22 season he cut short his summer holiday to work on his strength and conditioning at Nike’s headquarters in Oregon.

He came back fresher and stronger, scoring 30 goals for the first time in a season and deservedly being named United’s player of the year.

He is now set to become the club’s highest paid player when he signs his new contract and the time is right for him to become captain.

Goal