Harry Maguire allowed Bruno Fernandes to lead Manchester United's players up the Wembley steps to collect their runners-up medals after the FA Cup final on Saturday.
Maguire started on the bench against Manchester City at Wembley and Fernandes wore the armband in his absence, which the midfielder has done for the majority of this campaign as the de facto leader in the dressing room.
After the full-time whistle, Maguire unusually removed his tracksuit jacket despite being an unused substitute and he gave Fernandes the green light to walk the team up the steps, as uncertainty around his future remains.
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Maguire made just eight league starts throughout the season. He's behind Raphael Varane, Linsandro Martinez, Victor Lindelof and even Luke Shaw in the central defensive pecking order and he could seek an exit from Old Trafford this summer in search of regular minutes.
It has been suggested Maguire could stay and fight for his position, but England manager Gareth Southgate recently admitted his loyalty to the 30-year-old will be difficult to maintain if his club situation does not improve.
Speaking two weeks ago Southgate said about Maguire: “Inevitably it’s not a situation that can continue for ever. It’s like Kalvin Phillips. They are important players for us and with Kalvin we haven’t got many players who can play as that single pivot.
"Of course the longer that situation goes on the more concerning it is and we’ve got, in Marc Guéhi, Lewis Dunk, Tyrone Mings, players who are playing well without the same experiences of club European football or international football. But we’ve got to keep searching for competition in that area of the pitch.”
Maguire is contracted at United until the summer of 2025.
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