English footballer Harry Maguire took over Man Utd captaincy too early, according to Ferdinand, who has expressed confidence that Spanish footballer David de Gea is better suited for leadership.
What did Ferdinand say about Harry Maguire?
Man Utd forked out a world record £ 80million fee to sign Leicester-based Harry in August 2019, and less than six months later he replaced Young as captain after moving full-back to Inter. Harry has faced further scrutiny since then and appears to have weathered that season’s pressure as Man Utd slipped to sixth in the Premier League table, leading to widespread calls for an armband transfer.
Rio, who never became the official captain of Man Utd but regularly replaced him during his 12-year career at Old Trafford, suggested that Harry was too inexperienced to take on such a big responsibility. When asked if Harry Maguire would have already been dropped from the starting XI if he had not been the captain, Rio Ferdinand said that the fact that Harry Maguire had an armband gave him that grace. Which he will do. Rio thinks he was given too early.
It’s hard enough work that comes to Man Utd, getting your feet under the table and starting to feel as comfortable as it is without the added pressure of being captain. Being the captain is a huge responsibility, there is a story that goes with it, a lot of weight on their shoulders. According to Rio, they need to experience being there for a period of time in order to carry that weight. It was more important for Harry to get in and concentrate on becoming the backbone of Man Utd than being the captain.
Who does Ferdinand support?
While Harry is only halfway to his third season at Man Utd, David de Gea is currently with the club for over a decade and has Premier League, Europa League and FA Cup winners to his name. Rio suggested that if Rangnick passed the burden of captaincy to David, it would ease the pressure on Harry, with the squad currently gearing up for a mandatory home game against the wolves on Monday.
Rio Ferdinand added that what they can counter to Harry’s criticism is that there weren’t many captains at the club – who else are they going to choose. David would be his choice because of the time he was there and he knows what it takes to win. Ferdinand says it’s all in hindsight, but they have to think about these times that might come with someone like Maguire new to the club in that sense. And this additional pressure is too heavy for him at the moment.