Raphael Varane has given his verdict on Erik ten Hag’s decision to take the captain’s armband from Harry Maguire, only to present it to Bruno Fernandes.
The French centre-back has hailed Ten Hag for showing he is “not scared” to make big decisions as United manager.
Maguire was made captain by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer following his 2019 transfer from Leicester City.
However, change was needed as Maguire lost his place as a first-team regular last season.
It’s encouraging that Varane believes the decision proves Ten Hag leads from the front.
ESPN journalist Rob Dawson asked the former France international about Ten Hag’s decision to make Fernandes captain.
“He wants a team with character and he’s the leader so he has to show it himself,” Varane told ESPN after arriving in the US for pre-season.
“He’s not scared to take these decisions and take that responsibility. That is what we expect from the manager. He did it so I think, with things like this, you show by example.
“He knows exactly what he wants. He’s shown that determination and from the first day we’ve known exactly what we’ve had to do and where he wants to go. It’s all clear for the players and for the team and we have a good connection with the manager.”
Ten Hag’s recruits since becoming manager have helped change the dynamic of the dressing room.
The team now has a core of leaders in Fernandes, Varane, Casemiro and Martinez. Fans will hope they can add Andre Onana to that list after his first season at Old Trafford.
Varane added: “We need players with character and personality.
“If you want to win big trophies you need that kind of character. The difference between a good team and a top team is sometimes something mental.
“We need to believe, we need determination and the character of the players is something important.”
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