Revealed: Man Utd captain Bruno Fernandes opens up on 'awkward' dressing room situation after suddenly replacing Harry Maguire as permanent skipper

Erik ten Hag made the bold decision to strip Maguire of the Manchester United captaincy ahead of the 2023-24 campaign following a difficult run of form for the England defender. The former manager ultimately handed the prestigious role to Fernandes, who had frequently worn the armband on an interim basis.

Despite the honour of leading the Red Devils permanently, the transition did not come without its challenges. Fernandes has now explained that the immediate aftermath of the managerial call created an uneasy atmosphere, largely because he had not discussed the sudden switch with his team-mate beforehand.

The Portugal international confessed that the initial proposition from Ten Hag caught him slightly off guard. Speaking to LIFEJACKET, Fernandes detailed the immediate tension, stating: "To be honest, [when] I got asked if I wanted to be captain of the club, it was a bit awkward for me because obviously I hadn't spoken to Harry about it."

However, Maguire quickly stepped in to defuse the situation. Ten Hag had already informed the centre-back of his decision, allowing Maguire to approach his successor directly. "But he already knew it before me, so I think the manager spoke with him before speaking with me," Fernandes added. "So he was very good; he came and talked to me about it, and he said that if he had to lose the armband, it would go to someone like me.

"So that made me a little bit more relaxed about the situation, also because me and him had a very close relationship before because he was already captain, I was captain when he wasn't there."

The bond between the two players appears to have remained intact despite the public nature of the captaincy swap. Fernandes emphasised that their working relationship has not suffered, with both players continuing to take responsibility for the team's standards.

"So we knew this would keep the communication [about] things we needed to sort out in the dressing room, or whatever," Fernandes continued. "And that hasn't changed since then, because obviously I've got the armband but I've always made Harry aware [he's] part of the captain's armband, too, because I think he deserves that respect in terms of everything he's done for the club and everything he's done also for me since I came to the club."

Fernandes and Maguire will now turn their attention to United's next challenge under new head coach Michael Carrick. The Red Devils face Ipswich Town on Sunday looking to respond after a humiliating 2-0 defeat to Hull City on the opening weekend.

With United needing a reaction, Fernandes' leadership will be crucial as Carrick looks to get his permanent tenure off to a positive start and steer the team towards a much-needed first result of the campaign.