Roy Keane theory rules out two big candidates for Manchester United captaincy

Erik ten Hag has plenty of leaders in his Manchester United squad but Roy Keane's theory on the captaincy could rule two contenders out of the race for the armband.

United are without a captain following the announcement that Harry Maguire has been stripped of the responsibility. The defender wrote on his social media that after talks with the manager he had been informed of the decision, adding that he is 'extremely disappointed'.

Bruno Fernandes remains the favourite to take on the role permanently having been captain for the majority of last season in Maguire's absence. But Ten Hag worked hard to ensure his squad had multiple leaders by getting experienced professionals through the door last summer.

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Casemiro joined from Real Madrid in August, bringing with him more than 300 appearances at one of Europe's biggest clubs and multiple major honours, while Lisandro Martinez's captaincy credentials were on show in his debut season at Old Trafford. But if Ten Hag is to heed Keane's advice, neither will be in line for the role just yet.

“I feel sorry for Maguire," Keane told LadBible last year when asked about the defender's struggles. "If you go into a big club… it’s like, imagine if when I came to Man United when I was 20 or 21, quite young, and they went, ‘Oh, you’re the captain’. I’d be thinking, ‘That doesn’t say much about the rest of the group!’.

“Surely someone has got to be at the club a number of years to be captain. (Who should be captain) at United now? The fact we’ve got to discuss it or