It was reported last week that Harry Maguire and Erik ten Hag would sit down and discuss the Manchester United captaincy, particularly whether or not Maguire would continue to wear the armband. A mainstay in Gareth Southgate’s England starting eleven, Maguire started only eight league matches for United last season, averaging just 49 minutes per match.
A large contingent of United supporters have been calling for Maguire to be stripped of the captaincy for a few seasons now, especially since the arrival of Bruno Fernandes, who many see as the clearer choice to wear the armband. It’s easy to see why Bruno is a fan favorite for the captaincy; the Portuguese midfielder is a vocal, commanding leader on the pitch who backs it up with goal involvement and performances, overall.
Erik ten Hag has continued his tough love streak at the helm of the Red Devils by informing Maguire that he is no longer club captain. This has been confirmed by Maguire, himself, on Twitter.
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… pic.twitter.com/TAOS0eisF1
— Harry Maguire (@HarryMaguire93) July 16, 2023
It’s unclear at the moment what this might mean for Maguire’s Manchester United future, but it’s a safe bet that he isn’t ten Hag’s first choice in defense. The Dutchman even started Luke Shaw at centerback on numerous occasions ahead of a fit Maguire, if that’s any indication. West Ham have been linked with interest in bringing Maguire to London Stadium, fresh off their influx of funds following the €116 million sale of Declan Rice to Arsenal. Maguire might actually do well in a team like West Ham, who won’t have much of the ball and rely heavily on set pieces to grab goals. Not playing in a high defensive line and simply defending would suit Maguire a little more and it will be interesting to see if anything comes of West Ham’s rumored interest.
No announcement has been made by United yet, regarding who will take over as captain, but there are a few names who could handle the weight of the armband, including Bruno, Casemiro, Raphael Varane, Marcus Rashford, and Luke Shaw. Erik ten Hag has also clarified that it will be him who chooses the captain, not his players, so his choice for Maguire’s replacement will be telling.
