Alex Ferguson ‘truth’ comments hint at Man Utd captaincy call amid Harry Maguire rumours

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Erik ten Hag has only been in place as Manchester United manager for a short time, but already he has major decisions to make. While the summer transfer window is currently a primary concern, Ten Hag is also tasked with choosing his captain for next season.

During his first press conference as United boss, Ten Hag skilfully managed to avoid answering a question about whether Harry Maguire would remain as captain for the 2022/23 campaign. That hesitancy suggests doubt in the mind of the Dutchman – and recent reports state he is considering moving away from the under-fire defender.

According to The Sun, Ten Hag is ready to hand the armband to the most popular candidate in the dressing room. That could well mean David de Gea, who is reportedly the ‘overwhelming candidate’ because of the ‘respect and belief’ he commands from his team-mates.

It remains to be seen whether that will be the case at United this summer. But there is no doubt that Maguire is losing agency inside the dressing room. United are losing some important first-team players at the end of the month, with Paul Pogba, Nemanja Matic, Jesse Lingard and Juan Mata leaving, so perhaps now is a good time for change.

De Gea has been at United for 11 years and has 487 appearances under his belt for the club. The Spaniard might well have the support of former United boss Sir Alex Ferguson, who had his fair share of successful skippers during his 26 years at the helm.

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Steve Bruce, Eric Cantona, Roy Keane, Gary Neville and Nemanja Vidic all won league titles as captain, but it was Bryan Robson who got Ferguson’s vote as his best ever skipper. The reasons why offer a good idea of what United need from their leader next season.

“The players loved him,” Ferguson said about Robson last year. “They responded to him and he was the longest-serving captain in my time anyway. It’s difficult for a captain because sometimes he has to tell the truth to players, you know? The encouragement he’s got to give them sometimes can be quite volatile and he was like that, but the players did love him.

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“They appreciated the time he took on them and another thing, he’s the only captain I knew who could make a decision on the pitch. He didn’t need to look over to me. He would do that and that’s unusual. In fact it’s very unusual because he had the balls to do that.”

If De Gea does get the nod from Ten Hag then he certainly ticks one box. Despite not being captain, the 31-year-old has frequently told the truth to the players. Over the past trophyless five years, De Gea’s Twitter feed has become a place filled with harsh truths, while his post-match comments have become known for their brutal honesty.

Over the past few years De Gea has described United’s performances as “embarrassing”, “not up to the standard expected”, “not acceptable”, a “disgrace” and much more. If he is prepared to say such things publicly then it doesn’t seem like he would be worried about letting his team-mates know too.

De Gea is a long-serving player for United. Unlike many of his team-mates, he can hold his head up high following his performances in the 2021/22 season. And, crucially, he would try his best to ensure that the highest possible standards are adhered to. Ten Hag could do worse than giving him the armband.

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