Harry Maguire gives five examples to disprove Rio Ferdinand's Man Utd claim

Manchester United captain Harry Maguire has rebuffed club legend Rio Ferdinand ’s claim that his side’s squad has no leaders.

Maguire was appointed skipper by United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer within six months of moving to Old Trafford from Premier League rivals Leicester City.

And he has been a key part of the team which is now two points clear at the summit of the top flight, having gone 13 top flight matches unbeaten, and progressed to the fifth round of the FA Cup .

But in November, when United were 10th having won only four of their opening eight games, Ferdinand blasted the lack of leadership in the dressing room.

Harry Maguire has rebuffed Rio Ferdinand's claim that there are no leaders in the Manchester United squad (Getty Images)

“It’s not just about Ole on the sidelines, or Mike Phelan or Michael Carrick talking on the sidelines, but sometimes you need a player,” he told BT Sport ahead of United’s Champions League win over Istanbul Basaksehir.

“Bruno [Fernandes], who you don't mind giving the ball away because he is the creative spark right, but he gave the ball away very cheaply probably about four times before half-time.

“I am sitting there looking around the team thinking who is going to be onto him? Who is going to be telling him? I would have been screaming.

“Having no fans in the stadium is disgusting and we hate it but it has opened my eyes to see that there aren't many leaders playing football at the moment and Man United are suffering from that.”

Rio Ferdinand was critical of the character of United's dressing room (Getty Images)

But Maguire refuted Ferdinand’s assessment, naming five players who have shown leadership potential.

“I think it’s something that did get brought up in the media, about leadership at this club – but for sure, it’s the best leadership group I’ve been involved in at a club,” told the UTD Podcast.

“We have a lot of leaders in the dressing room, a lot of senior pros. And you don’t have to be a senior pro to be a leader.

“Axel [Tuanzebe] is a leader, in the ways that he works and speaks in the dressing room. And he’s only a young boy, he’s still learning his trade – I’m sure he’ll go on to have an unbelievable career.

“I think we have a lot of leaders. There’s Bruno [Fernandes], who has come in and made a massive impact at the club, results-wise but also off the field.

“Nemanja [Matic], Juan [Mata], David [De Gea] – they’ve been at the club a while now. There’s definitely a lot of leaders in the dressing room.”