Marcus is a Reds skipper in waiting believes Maguire
HARRY Maguire has tipped Marcus Rashford to become a future captain of United.
The former Leicester and England defender was appointed club skipper days after the departure of Ashley Young from Old Trafford.
Maguire, 27, is the fastest United player to receive the armband after signing for the club since Maurice Setters in 1963.
Rashford, 22, led United in his absence against City in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg.
The boyhood Reds fan signed a contract with the club until 2024 last year and has already been tipped to break Wayne Rooney’s goalscoring record at United.
Maguire has been playing alongside Rashford for England since 2017 and says the United forward is the most talented player he has played with.
“I’ve always spoken so highly of Marcus when I was with him at England,” Maguire said. “I can’t speak highly enough of him.
“I think he’s going to go on to have an exceptional career. I think he’s going to go on to – I don’t want to put too much pressure on him – be a wonderful player for Manchester United, as he is now.
“Yeah, definitely [he could become club captain]. As a club, you should have a captain and rely on him but you need to spread the onus of the leadership in the group.
“Marcus is there and he battles through every game. Obviously he’s missing through a bad injury at the moment but he’s battling hard to get back.
“He’s always wanting to make himself available. I think you can see around the place and on and off the field as well, he’s excellent with his charity work, which is great to see. On the pitch he’s amazed me.
“He’s the most talented player I’ve ever played with and I’m sure he’s going to be a wonderful player for this club.”
David de Gea, who is approaching nine years with United, and Juan Mata, into his sixth year at the club, also have input in a de facto leadership group manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer consults.
Meanwhile, Maguire has revealed he used to idolise Rio Ferdinand while growing up and says he models his game on the former United defender, who won six Premier League titles and the 2008 Champions League at Old Trafford, as well as 81 international caps.
“When I was a young boy he was the England centre-half, he was one of the best centre-halves in the Premier League,” said Maguire.
“He’s been a great player for Manchester United, won numerous things and I just think the way he started bringing the ball out of defence and building up attacks, he brought that into the English game and he was definitely a big influence on the way defenders now do bring the ball out.”