Nine players who inspired Maguire and Robson
Harry Maguire and Bryan Robson reveal the players who inspired them as captains in the latest edition of UTD Podcast – and there may be some names that surprise you.
Maguire, United’s current skipper, and Robson, who wore the armband at Old Trafford for a record 12 years, each identify several players, shared between their previous clubs and the Reds.
For Harry, examples he has looked up in the dressing room include a Premier League winner, while two United legends-turned-pundits continue to offer valuable insight post-retirement.
“I think I’ve been lucky enough to play under some really good captains, really experienced players,” said Maguire. “I love speaking to ex-captains and seeing how they went about things.
“I find it interesting to listen to Gary [Neville] and Roy [Keane] when they speak in their podcasts.
“But no, I think I played under Chris Morgan at Sheffield United, who I learned a huge amount from, then I was under Michael Dawson at Hull and Wes Morgan at Leicester.
“So three really experienced pros who have been up and down the leagues and seen everything really. I definitely feel like I’ve learned an awful amount from them all.”
Robson was first handed the armband by Ron Atkinson in 1982, a year after signing for the Reds from West Bromwich Albion.
Martin Buchan was captain at that point, and Robbo named him as a big influence on his leadership style, along with two former Baggies and a European Footballer of the Year.
“All the time I was at West Brom, John Wile, the centre-half, was captain,” Robbo recalled. “Len Cantello was a leader on the pitch. [He was a] central midfield player as well, and a Manchester lad.
“He’s one of the best players I played with who never got capped by his country. He was a very good player.
“So [I was] influenced by that, then when I came to United, Martin Buchan was captain. He was really strict with all his team-mates, he wouldn’t be afraid to have a go if he thought people were doing something wrong.
“When I first went into the England team, Kevin Keegan was captain. He led by example, he was a top, top player. He played in Germany [and] won European Player of the Year [in 1978 and 1979]. Kevin was a big example of how to be a captain as well.
“I’ve had some really good players and good characters as captain before me.”
The full episode of UTD Podcast is available to download now from Deezer and all the usual platforms.