Man Utd captaincy 'clue' spotted in club's pre-season training video

A potential clue over who could replace Harry Maguire as Manchester United captain has been spotted in a pre-season training video released by the club.

Maguire, 30, was stripped of the captaincy by manager Erik ten Hag following a meeting at Carrington on Sunday.

The England international, who was made skipper by previous manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, has fallen down the pecking order at Old Trafford since Ten Hag was appointed last summer.

Maguire confirmed he had been stripped of the captaincy in a statement on social media, in which he expressed his disappointment with the decision but vowed to support whoever was appointed as his replacement.

United are yet to confirm who will succeed Maguire on a permanent basis, with Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro, Raphael Varane and Luke Shaw among the favourites.

Man Utd captaincy clue spotted?

Fernandes is viewed as most likely to take on the role, having acted as captain for the majority of last season with Maguire on the bench.

A potential clue the Portuguese could take the armband permanently has now been spotted in the club's latest pre-season video.

In the clip, a number of United players are filmed arriving at Carrington to undergo physical tests in the gym and work on shooting drills in training.

Maguire, Fernandes, Casemiro, Mason Mount, Fred and Christian Eriksen were among the players filmed arriving for training.

But only Fernandes stopped to shake hands and share a few words with the cameraman, with fans believing the small but potentially significant gesture is a sign he will be named club captain.

Ten Hag is expected to confirm his decision before United play their next pre-season game against French side Lyon at Murrayfield in Edinburgh on Wednesday.

United will then travel abroad for their pre-season tour of the United States, with their third warm-up match coming against Arsenal at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Saturday.

Topics: Manchester United, Harry Maguire, Bruno Fernandes, Football, Premier League

Rory O'Callaghan

Rory O'Callaghan is Editorial Lead at SPORTbible. He has previously worked for Sky Sports News, MailOnline and Reach covering football, cricket, boxing and MMA. Tested daily as a Liverpool fan in a Manchester office.

@rory_ocallaghan