“He leads by example” – Andros Townsend snubs Cristiano Ronaldo as he backs player who ‘doesn’t get the recognition he deserves’ for Manchester United captaincy

Everton winger Andros Townsend has backed Harry Maguire to continue to lead Manchester United, overlooking Cristiano Ronaldo for the captaincy role.

Manchester United were poor throughout the 2021-22 campaign. They were knocked out of all cup competitions rather quickly and finish sixth in the Premier League standings. A lot of the blame for the poor display was pinned on Harry Maguire, whose season was riddled with individual errors.

Ronaldo, on the other hand, had several excellent displays after joining the club last season. He ended the season as their highest scorer, with 24 goals in 39 games.

With the new manager coming on board in the form of Erik ten Hag, there is a chance Maguire might lose the armband for the new season. Townsend, however, is against removing Maguire as captain.

He believes (as told to talkSPORT):

"You guys speak about Harry Maguire a lot? I've played against Harry Maguire. He's a great captain, he's a great player. Doesn't get the recognition he deserves, gets a lot stick. I think he's the perfect captain. I don't think the manager should change that."

He added:

"He's vocal. He obviously can see everything from where he is. He's always speaking to the back four and those ahead of him. I think he leads by example. I think he's not afraid to get on the ball, he's not afraid to play. And I think you need that in a centre-half."

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Cristiano Ronaldo can be an excellent choice for the captaincy role at Manchester United

Cristiano Ronaldo has always been a vocal player on the pitch, regardless of the armband. He has led several teams by example and last season was no different. He scored 24 times for an United team that was otherwise bereft of ideas in the final third.

The 37-year-old has also led his team for several years now, winning the 2016 Euros and the 2020 Nations League with Portugal.

Manchester United are a club in transition at the moment. They need a leader who is both vocal and also has the experience to produce the goods when it matters. On that note, there is no player on earth better than Cristiano Ronaldo.

Maguire, for his part, is still struggling to get back to his usual standards and could do well without the armband as an added responsibility. He might want to use the pre-season to work on his game under new boss Erik ten Hag. Cristiano Ronaldo would be an excellent in choice in that case.