Breaking news: Rio Ferdinand reveals who should have being Manchester United captain not maguire....

 Maguire replaced Ashley Young as United

 skipper in January 2020, less than six months

 after his arrival at Old Trafford from Leicester

 city for £80million.

The England international has endured 

widespread criticism from fans and pundits 

alike during a troubled campaign, with United

 keeping just four Premier League clean 

sheets with the captain in the side this season.

Sections of United’s fanbase have called for 

Maguire to be dropped from the starting 

XI, with the centre-half coming under fire 

again against Newcastle and Burnley this week.

Injuries and Covid for Raphael Varane 

and Victor Lindelof respectively have made 

that process difficult, Ferdinand believes,

 while also suggesting the armband makes 

it difficult for Ralf Rangnick to leave him 

on the bench.

Questioned whether Maguire would have

 been dropped had he not been club captain

, Ferdinand told Vibe with five: ‘The fact 

that he has had the armband has given him

 that grace. Which it would do. I think he 

was given it too early.

‘It’s a hard enough job coming into Manchester

 United, getting your feet under the table 

and stating to feel comfortable as it as 

without the added pressure of being captain.

‘Being captain is a massive responsibility, 

there is history that goes with it, a big 

weight on your shoulders.

‘You need to experience being there for a 

period of time to carry that weight. It was 

more important for Maguire to come in 

and concentrate on becoming a Manchester

 United mainstay than being captain.’

Goalkeeper de Gea is United’s longest 

current serving player along with Phil Jones

 and was part of the side that last won the 

Premier League title in 2013.

Ferdinand believes the Spain international 

would have been a better option and suggests

 the club failed to anticipate the current 

problems Maguire is experiencing.

‘The thing you can counter that with, is 

that there weren’t many captains at the club,

 who else are they going to pick?

‘David de Gea would have been my choice

 because of the time he’s been there and 

he knows what it takes to win.

‘This is all with hindsight but you have 

to got to think about these times that might

 come with someone like Harry Maguire, 

new at the club in that sense. And that added 

pressure is weighing on him heavily 

at the moment.’