Harry Maguire was named as the new Manchester United captain promptly following the departure of the man who previously filled that position, Ashley Young. He is a great choice and will serve the Red Devils well for the near future.
Harry Maguire Will Be A Good Captain for Manchester United
Ashley Young’s Departure
United skipper Ashley Young had been linked with a move to Inter Milan for quite some time, however, it was unclear whether he would move to Italy in January or the summer. He was confirmed to have joined La Beneamata on Friday, leaving the captaincy position open.
Who Were the Candidates?
David de Gea
One of the more obvious choices to be the new captain at Manchester United was David de Gea. Although goalkeeper is not one of the most common positions for a captain, de Gea has many other qualities desirable in a skipper. One of these most relevant to de Gea is stepping up when the team need him most.
David de Gea has been United’s most consistent player for the last decade by a long way. He has saved the Red Devils more times than they can count, and if it weren’t for him, the club would have further struggled in their post-Sir Alex Ferguson era. The Spaniard always stepped up when everything else looked bleak, and he has won player of the year in Manchester four times to prove that.
The Spanish Goalkeeper has also been with the club for a long time. This helps for relationships with players and staff, as well as a dedication to the team. Although he nearly joined Real Madrid in 2015 and has been heavily linked with them on countless other occasions, De Gea has remained faithful to United. At the beginning of the season, he committed himself to the Red Devils by signing a long term contract until 2023. This shows De Gea fully commits to the club for the future.
One feature of Young’s game which was missing as a captain was his lack of consistent game time. Young made very few appearances in his time as captain, and even less starts. De Gea is a consistent starter, at least in the league, and would have given United a skipper who is always playing.
Scott McTominay
Despite currently being out with injury, Scott McTominay seemed another very good option for captain. He has emerged as a leader in a fairly bleak looking current United squad. McTominay is an academy graduate, and with United’s three-year plan under Solskjaer promoting youth and development, he could be the perfect person to captain them through it. As a consistent starter when not hampered by injury, McTominay may have been a very good candidate.
Marcus Rashford
Another academy graduate Marcus Rashford is in the form of his life. As a local boy, Rashford seems the perfect player to captain United. It would certainly be one of the best rewards for his good form. Rashford’s only downside is his position as a striker. Usually, defensive players are captains, and although striker Wayne Rooney did captain United fairly recently, that may have stopped Rashford from wearing the armband for now.
Why Harry Maguire Won
Harry Maguire was not the obvious choice for captain. Although he has played impressively since joining United, he only came to Manchester in the summer. He does not know the club as well as well as some of the other candidates and may need more time to settle in.
Having said that, Maguire has played well and has donned the armband many times when Young doesn’t play. He has demonstrated clear leadership qualities, and as a centre back, the most common position for captains in the Premier League, he is an almost perfect candidate. The Red Devils had been targeting Harry Maguire for a while and signed him up on a long term contract. He signed for six years to United, with the option to extend for a further year. This shows his commitment to the club, something which United need with Maguire their fourth captain in under three years.
Although he has only recently joined, Harry Maguire seems to plan on staying at Manchester United for most of the rest of his career and possesses some key traits for a captain. This is why Maguire makes for a great captain at United in the years to come.
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