Former Man United defender backs Harry Maguire to retain captaincy amid Erik ten Hag decision

Wes Brown says Harry Maguire will "want to show everybody" he can step up to the plate as Manchester United captain next season.

He believes the England international will retain the armband under Erik ten Hag, who faces a big call over the responsibility this summer. Maguire had a rough season last term as United slumped to a sixth-place finish.

Criticism was often fired his way as United leaked goals and showed a lack of unity. As a result, his leadership skills have been questioned with some eager for Ten Hag to strip him of the captaincy.

However, Brown has backed Maguire to adopt a strong mindset and do his utmost to demonstrate that he is fit for the role. Speaking to the Express, he said: “The captaincy, to me, obviously it’s a big deal but you just get on with it.

“For instance, if he [Maguire] got it taken off him, he’ll be disappointed. Ultimately, he’ll want to show everybody he can do it.

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“There were a lot of players who had a bad season last season. But as the captain, you will take a lot of stick and I think he understands that.”

He added: “I’ve said this before, I’ve watched many games where Maguire may have been at fault for the last part of the goal, but leading up to it there’s three or four mistakes when it shouldn’t have got to that position.

“Yes, Maguire will be disappointed in bits that he’s been involved in. And he’s the captain, he’s going to get pulled up on it.

“But that’s what I mean about consistency. We need to be better in all the areas but Harry is older, wiser, he’s got experience and he’ll want to show everybody he can do it and it’s as simple as that. Hopefully this happens this season.”

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