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Manchester United staff credit John Terry with transforming Axel Tuanzebe into a ‘leader’


Axel Tuanzebe has been identified as a future captain of the club (Picture: Getty)

Manchester United defender Axel Tuanzebe has been earmarked as a potential replacement for Ashley Young as club captain.

The 22-year-old joined the club 14 years ago at the age of eight and has risen through the ranks at Old Trafford to become a first team player.

Tuanzebe captained the U19s, U20s and U21s before a loan spell at Aston Villa last season in which he helped the club again promotion to the Premier League.

With the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Michael Carrick, Wayne Rooney, Antonio Valencia and Chris Smalling departing in recent years, there’s been a vacuum of leadership at the Theatre of Dreams.

Terry coached Tuanzebe for a year at Villa (Picture: Getty)
Maguire has worn the armband on occasion this season (Picture: Getty)

Young was made club captain earlier this summer almost by default and the 34-year-old is no longer a guaranteed starter, while Ole Gunnar Solskjaer would rather give the captaincy to an outfield player which rules out David De Gea.

The veteran could be given another one-year extension in 2020 but the Times claim Solskjaer wants to appoint a new long-term skipper and the running is between Maguire and Tuanzebe.

Tuanzebe is yet to cement a starting berth at the club and is therefore behind Maguire in the running but Solskjaer sees value in giving the armband to an academy product.

According to the Times, the club feel that Tuanzebe’s leadership qualities grew during his year at Villa due to the influence on first team coach John Terry and the work the former Chelsea skipper did with the centre-back at Villa Park.

Tuanzebe was given the captain’s armband earlier this season when United hosted Rochdale at Old Trafford in the Carabao Cup. Many felt it was a symbolic gesture due to the fact Tuanzebe grew up in the area of the opposition but he was chosen ahead of Pogba and there’s a genuine belief he could have a long-term future as skipper.

Maguire, meanwhile, has played every single league game so far this term and would be the favourite to be given the role.

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