Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has spoken about the “awkward” moment when he was asked to take over the club’s leadership from Harry Maguire. The Portugal midfielder admitted he had concerns about how things would be between the two players before an important conversation at Old Trafford helped settle the situation.

A sudden change in leadership

Erik ten Hag took the big call to remove Maguire as Manchester United captain before the 2023-24 season after a difficult spell of form for the England defender. The former manager then gave the role to Fernandes, who had often worn the armband on a temporary basis.

Even though it was a major honour to lead the Red Devils on a permanent basis, the switch was not without complications. Fernandes has now explained that the immediate aftermath of the manager’s decision created some discomfort, mainly because he had not spoken to his team-mate in advance about the sudden change.

Clearing up an ‘awkward’ transition

The Portugal international admitted that Ten Hag’s proposal took him a little by surprise. Speaking to LIFEJACKET, Fernandes explained the tension he felt at first, saying: “To be honest, [when] I got asked if I wanted to be captain of the club, it was a bit awkward for me because obviously I hadn’t spoken to Harry about it.”

But Maguire moved quickly to make things easier. Ten Hag had already told the centre-back about his decision, which meant Maguire was able to speak directly to the player who would replace him. “But he already knew it before me, so I think the manager spoke with him before speaking with me,” Fernandes added. “So he was very good; he came and talked to me about it, and he said that if he had to lose the armband, it would go to someone like me.

“So that made me a little bit more relaxed about the situation, also because me and him had a very close relationship before because he was already captain, I was captain when he wasn’t there.”

Keeping a united front

The relationship between the two players appears to have stayed strong despite the captaincy change happening in public view. Fernandes stressed that their understanding has not been damaged, with both players still helping to uphold the team’s standards.

“So we knew this would keep the communication [about] things we needed to sort out in the dressing room, or whatever,” Fernandes continued. “And that hasn’t changed since then, because obviously I’ve got the armband but I’ve always made Harry aware [he’s] part of the captain’s armband, too, because I think he deserves that respect in terms of everything he’s done for the club and everything he’s done also for me since I came to the club.”

United aim to respond against Ipswich

Fernandes and Maguire will now shift their focus to United’s next test under new head coach Michael Carrick. The Red Devils are due to take on Ipswich Town on Sunday as they try to answer back after a humiliating 2-0 defeat to Hull City on the opening weekend.

With United in need of a response, Fernandes’ leadership will be vital as Carrick looks to begin his permanent spell in charge on a positive note and guide the side towards a badly needed first result of the campaign.