Erik ten Hag ‘has already announced’ who will replace Harry Maguire as Man Utd captain
Maguire was appointed club captain by former United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in 2020, but the England defender has had a string of poor results.
The 29-year-old centre-back started United’s two consecutive Premier League defeats to Brighton and Brentford before Erik ten Hag dropped him from the starting line-up.
Maguire has struggled to save his career at Old Trafford, with ten Hag preferring him to centre-back duo Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez.
The USA captain, who has been sidelined with a thigh injury, has returned to training and could be given vital minutes ahead of the World Cup.
Varane suffered a hamstring injury in United’s 1-1 draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, which could see Maguire return to the starting line-up.
Maguire’s absence from United’s starting line-up has allowed Fernandes to take the captain’s armband, with Ten Hag a big fan of the Portuguese midfielder.
Yorke, 50, believes Fernandes has already been told he will inherit the captain’s armband in the future and no longer sees him as a temporary captain.
The United legend suggested that Ten Hag’s eventual words to Fernandes gave him “the confidence he needed as a player”.
Speaking to Lord Ping, Yorke said: ‘I was the stand-in captain, which wasn’t a problem. I think with Maguire’s situation, looking at it from outside the club without knowing all the details, I think he was told he was going to be captain in the future.
“When a manager tells you something like that, it takes a weight off your shoulders. So now he’s thinking, ‘OK, this is my new role’.
“That clarity is good for the team and allows him to go out and do what he has to do.
“Obviously I wouldn’t expect it to be an official announcement this season with Maguire at the club, but maybe the manager had a word with him and that gave him the confidence he needed as a player.”
United return to Europa League action on Thursday when they host Sheriff at Old Trafford at 8pm UK time.
