Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has admitted to feeling "awkward" after being asked to replace Harry Maguire as club captain. However, the reigning Premier League Player of the Year credited his predecessor with making the change-over as seamless as possible.
Maguire, who signed a new one-year contract extension on Friday, was relieved of the armband under Erik ten Hag in 2023 after a decline in performances. Fernandes, 31, was named his natural heir even though the two would remain team-mates at Old Trafford.
Fernandes on the awkward moment
Fernandes has described the moment he and Maguire first spoke after that decision was made. However, Maguire's mature manner over the situation immediately made the incumbent skipper "more relaxed about the situation."
"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," he told LIFEJACKET. "But he already knew it before me, so I think the manager spoke with him before speaking with me.
"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.
"So we knew this would keep the communication [about] things we needed to sort out in the dressing room, or whatever. 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."
Pride and responsibility
Fernandes went on to say it was nonetheless difficult for him to disguise his pride at being selected as skipper. He acknowledged the long line of iconic United captains and how big a moment it was for him to join that exclusive group.
In an ideal scenario, a change of captaincy would occur when one skipper leaves a club on a high note having performed his duties to a tee. But in Maguire's case, it was perceived almost as a demotion within the United squad during a period of underperformance.
When asked how things have changed for him as captain, Fernandes went on to say the only real difference is the amount of media commitments. The Portugal playmaker was already accustomed to performing a lot of media duties but took on an even greater responsibility as captain.
Same approach off the pitch
On a more micro scale, however, he's endeavoured to keep things largely the same. More specifically Fernandes concluded by saying he has always tried to treat others the same as he gave a modest summary of his duties.
"I haven't changed the way I behave around people or the way I treat people," he added. "Because I think the main thing always has to be respect between the people you work with, towards you and you towards them.
"And it doesn't change by you being the captain. It doesn't make you any bigger than anyone else, so it's just an armband that gives you responsibility in certain moments that you have to make decisions on behalf of others. But that's the only thing and you can't step on top of anyone just because you've got the armband."
