Erik ten Hag decided to strip Harry Maguire of the Manchester United captaincy last weekend, handing the armband to Bruno Fernandes, who was stand-in skipper for much of last season
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Raphael Varane has backed Erik ten Hag’s decision to strip Harry Maguire of the Manchester United captaincy and hand it to Bruno Fernandes.
Fernandes was confirmed as the Red Devils’ new permanent skipper on Thursday, with Varane having won the armband in their opening two games of pre-season. Maguire announced he had been stood down from the role by Ten Hag on Sunday.
The news came as little surprise, with the England international having plummeted down the pecking order last season. United boss Ten Hag did not tell his squad who would be taking on the armband before his meeting with Maguire.
But that has not fazed the dressing room, with veteran defender Varane insisting that the move showed the character that United need to retake their dominant place in England football.
“He wants a team with character and he’s the leader so he has to show it himself. He’s not scared to take these decisions and take that responsibility. That is what we expect from the manager. He did it so I think, with things like this, you show by example,” he told ESPN.
“He knows exactly what he wants. He’s shown that determination and from the first day we’ve known exactly what we’ve had to do and where he wants to go. It’s all clear for the players and for the team and we have a good connection with the manager.”
HAVE YOUR SAY! Did Erik ten Hag make the right decision by stripping Harry Maguire of the captaincy?Comment below.
Raphael Varane has backed Erik ten Hag’s decision to change captain
“We need players with character and personality. If you want to win big trophies you need that kind of character. The difference between a good team and a top team is sometimes something mental.
“We need to believe, we need determination and the character of the players is something important We want to fight for every trophy. That’s the expectation for this club. We want to grow as a team, be more consistent and fight to be at the top. That’s what we want.”
Fernandes regularly took on the armband in Maguire’s absence last season. And while Varane is happy to see the midfielder step up, United’s former skipper has hinted he is unhappy with Ten Hag’s move.
“After discussions with the manager today he has informed me he is changing captain. He outlined his reasons to me and whilst I’m personally extremely disappointed, I will continue to give my all every time I wear the shirt,” he said in a statement on Sunday.
“So I wanted to say a massive thank you to the Manchester United fans for all their brilliant support whilst I’ve been wearing the armband. Since the day I took on the role, it’s been a huge privilege to lead Manchester United and one of the proudest moments of my career.
“It’s one of the greatest honours in club football. I’ve done everything I possibly could to help United be successful - on and off the field. I will always be grateful to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for first giving me the responsibility.”
