Harry Maguire has dismissed suggestions that Manchester United’s dressing room lacks leaders after criticism aimed at the squad earlier in the season. After struggling at the start of the 2020/21 campaign, questions were asked about the character of United’s squad. Bruno Fernandes was labelled United’s only leader at times, although doubts over the squad’s mentality have fallen away as the team has improved, leading them to the top of the Premier League table. For Maguire, he believes that the dressing room is filled with players who will stand up to be counted, naming five teammates he believes are leaders.
Harry Maguire said “I think it’s something that did get brought up in the media, about leadership at this club – but for sure, it’s the best leadership group I’ve been involved in at a club, We have a lot of leaders in the dressing room, a lot of senior pros. And you don’t have to be a senior pro to be a leader. Axel [Tuanzebe] is a leader, in the ways that he works and speaks in the dressing room. And he’s only a young boy, he’s still learning his trade – I’m sure he’ll go on to have an unbelievable career. I think we have a lot of leaders. There’s Bruno [Fernandes], who has come in and made a massive impact at the club, results-wise but also off the field. His mentality – it rubs off on other people when you have a strong mentality, a winning mentality. Nemanja [Matic], Juan [Mata], David [De Gea] – they’ve been at the club a while now. There’s definitely a lot of leaders in the dressing room. He (Solskjaer) just pulled me and he said, ‘Look, I’m going to make you captain of this club’, Obviously it was a great moment for myself – it’s a huge honour to play for this club, never mind be the captain and lead the boys out at Old Trafford. It’s a massive honour and a massive privilege. It came a lot sooner than I would have dreamed of. Obviously Ash [Ashley Young] was here before, I learned a lot from Ash when he was here for three or four months. A great guy, a great player for the club, a great servant.”
