Harry Maguire had the Manchester United captaincy taken from him and given to Bruno Fernandes before showing who he truly was in a difficult career moment
Harry Maguire showed Manchester United team-mate Bruno Fernandes his true class when handing over the club’s captaincy. The Portugal ace paid tribute to Maguire for handling the transition with class and making the change as straightforward as it could have been.
Maguire, who signed a new one-year contract extension on Friday, was relieved of the captaincy by then-manager Erik ten Hag in 2023 after a prolonged loss of form. Fernandes, 31, emerged as the obvious choice to succeed him, though the pair continue to share a dressing room at Old Trafford.
The United skipper has now shed light on the private exchange that took place between the two players in the wake of that decision. Rather than any awkwardness lingering, Maguire’s gracious response quickly put Fernandes at ease and set the tone for a respectful working relationship that endures to this day.
“To be honest, [when] I got asked if I wanted to be captain of the club, it was a bit awkward for me because obviously I hadn’t spoken to Harry about it,” Fernandes told LIFEJACKET. “But he already knew it before me, so I think the manager spoke with him before speaking with me.
“So he was very good, he came and talked to me about it and he said that if he had to lose the armband, it would go to someone like me. So that made me a little bit more relaxed about the situation, also because me and him had a very close relationship before because he was already captain, I was captain when he wasn’t there.
“So we knew this would keep the communication [about] things we needed to sort out in the dressing room, or whatever. And that hasn’t changed since then, because obviously I’ve got the armband but I’ve always made Harry aware [he’s] part of the captain’s armband, too, because I think he deserves that respect in terms of everything he’s done for the club and everything he’s done also for me since I came to the club.”
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Fernandes admitted it was nevertheless hard for him to hide his pride at being chosen as skipper at Old Trafford. He recognised the lengthy succession of legendary United captains and what a significant moment it represented for him to enter that select circle.
In a perfect world, a captaincy transition would take place when one leader departs a club on a positive note having fulfilled his responsibilities impeccably. Yet in Maguire’s situation, it was viewed almost as a relegation within the United squad during a spell of poor form.
When questioned about how matters have altered for him as captain, Fernandes continued by saying the only genuine distinction is the amount of media obligations. The PFA Player of the Year was already familiar with handling media responsibilities but assumed an even heavier burden as captain.
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On a more detailed level, though, he’s strived to ensure his relationships with other squad members remain broadly unchanged. More precisely, Fernandes wrapped up by noting he has consistently attempted to treat others the same as he offered a humble overview of his responsibilities.
“I haven’t changed the way I behave around people or the way I treat people,” he added. “Because I think the main thing always has to be respect between the people you work with, towards you and you towards them.
“And it doesn’t change by you being the captain. It doesn’t make you any bigger than anyone else, so it’s just an armband that gives you responsibility in certain moments that you have to make decisions on behalf of others. But that’s the only thing and you can’t step on top of anyone just because you’ve got the armband.”
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