De Gea, Maguire, Rashford... Man Utd players who must step into leadership roles

There is always so much talk in football about leadership.

Even Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, for all his reliance on youth and talk of potential, knows the value of leaders in the dressing room.

Yet United have, at times this season, appeared a rudderless ship on and off the pitch. Questions have been asked of Solskjaer's own management in the dugout, but he needs lieutenants on the field fighting for him and for the team.

After the hard-fought 1-0 win over Leciester, Solskjaer named Scott McTominay as an establishing leader, while Ashley Young is the club captain. But who are the other players who must now step into the leadership void at Old Trafford this season?

David de Gea

De Gea did what a leader should do after United's abject defeat at Newcastle. He fronted up. He was the only United player to give post-match interviews at St James' Park, speaking with honesty and genuine disappointment while his teammates slipped out through the exit door and onto the team bus.

The Spaniard has appeared more focused since signing a new contract at United.

In that announcement, he declared his desire to take on a leadership role and become the official club captain one day soon. “As one of the senior players in the squad, I want to support and lead in any way that I can to assist the younger players, so they know what it means to play here," he said.

When Luke Shaw returns to replace Young, De Gea will take the armband again. But even before then, United need him as a leader.

Harry Maguire

Maguire is another United player with designs on the captaincy one day, with Solskjaer revealing earlier this season he's already considering the England centre-back for the role.

"Harry Maguire is already captain potential," Solskjaer said before United's defeat at West Ham this term.

And Maguire himself has said his leadership qualities on the pitch are "something I still want to improve on", and how United need a vocal presence on the pitch such as him.

Yes, the team's struggles appear to be more in midfield and up front at the back, but Maguire can drive this side to greater things.

Some don't view Pogba as a natural leader, because they believe his flamboyant, extrovert personality isn't that of your typical United captain.

But there is no doubt many United players look to the Frenchman for inspiration — simply because he is their most talented player. He plays in a pivotal central midfield position and, when at his best, he drives others on to perform better.

Pogba has not been particularly good, or woefully poor this term. But when he's been out injured, United have missed him.

So Solskjaer needs to motivate Pogba to become more of a leader on and off the pitch. It can only inspire emerging players to take their lead from the only World Cup winner in the squad.

Marcus Rashford

Rashford has bore the brunt of plenty of criticism already this season.

And it's true that he's been well below pair and below the form United fans know he can show. But he's also being asked to lead the line for Solskjaer — in more ways than one. The Norwegian wants Rashford to relish his role as United's most senior forward, following the departures of Alexis Sanchez and Romelu Lukaku.

It's a situation that isn't going to change until January at the earliest, so United need to encourage Rashford to grow into a leader and begin to set an example to Mason Greenwood and Daniel James up front.