Casemiro and Marcus Rashford comments confirm Manchester United's most important player

As the Manchester United players prepared to trudge up the Wembley steps and collect their runners-up medals, there was a poignant gesture for Bruno Fernandes to go first.

Harry Maguire is still technically the club captain, but it is quite clear that the Portuguese is viewed as the real leader of the United side.

The changing of the guard will likely be made official this summer. Maguire is set to leave the club and Fernandes is viewed as the leading candidate to take over the armband.

A year ago, Fernandes looked like he could be an awkward fit in Erik ten Hag's side. It is testament to his application and ability that he has continued to be important and offered new things to his side.

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He is still somewhat of a square peg in a round hole. The 28-year-old takes unnecessary risks, loses the ball too often, and can let his emotions get the better of him in the heat of the moment.

Yet it is that fire in his belly and that volatile unpredictability that also make him so dangerous. He remains the catalyst for this United side but is now prospering alongside fellow football intellects who are on the same wavelength.

There is an argument to suggest Fernandes has just enjoyed his best season in a United shirt. Yes, there have been others campaigns where he has stood out as the star man and grabbed more goals, but now he is much more of a team player than a talisman.

Even if he isn't quite producing the freakish numbers of old, it is still a fine achievement to register 14 goals and 15 assists for his side across all competitions. He has reached double figures in both metrics in each of his last six seasons.

Rather than operating as a one-man show, Fernandes is now