Man United might have found their new club captain when Young departs

When the role of Manchester United club captain passed from Antonio Valencia to Ashley Young in the summer the low key announcement probably summed up the way the armband has lost its mystique in recent years.

United captains were once there to be feared. From Bryan Robson to Nemanja Vidic the club's skippers were the on-field leaders, dogs of war unwilling to take a backward step in upholding the highest standards and the fiercest principles.

In their own way Robson, Steve Bruce, Eric Cantona, Roy Keane, Gary Neville and Vidic epitomised what Manchester United meant for more than two decades. Not just trophies, but a fearlessness on the pitch, in approach and in stature.

It was inevitable that as the club lost its way in the aftermath of Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement, the role of captain would diminish as well. The more recent skippers have struggled to match the standard bearers for the modern United, even if Young is a far better candidate for the role than Valencia and would be a loss if he was to head to Serie A in this transfer window.

When Ole Gunnar Solskjaer confirmed Young in the role this summer his short and to the point reply probably also illuminated the fact that the captaincy is given far greater significance in this country than it is elsewhere in Europe. Asked in August if Young had replaced Valencia as club captain, the United boss said: "You can probably call it that."

That came after the friendly against AC Milan in Cardiff when David De Gea had worn the armband. Afterwards Solskjaer said the Spaniard would be "in contention", but that Young would be captain when he starts.

Those starts have been harder to come by this season, but when he's not started De Gea has been captain, but so has Harry Maguire, promoted ahead of the goalkeeper, and on Tuesday night against Manchester City so was Marcus Rashford, for the first time on the occasion of his 199th appearance for the club.

Rashford in fact became the seventh different player to captain United from the start this season, in just 32 games. While that figure shocks those of us raised on the importance of a figurehead as captain, to managers used to not putting as much stock in the role, it is probably seen as largely irrelevant. Solskjaer could have used this as a reward for Rashford's fine form this season, just as he gave Axel Tuanzebe the armband against Rochdale in the Carabao Cup because he sees him as a captain in the making and wanted him to experience the role.

But ideally United need a club captain who is going to be playing every week and one with an understanding of the club's history and what it means to wear that red shirt would be an advantage, given the relationship between players and supporters continues to fray at the edges.

That would make Rashford, raised as a United fan and born in Whythenshawe, an ideal candidate. He responded to the pressure on the pitch by scoring another goal and then stopped to speak to reporters in the mixed zone afterwards. He was under no obligation to stop and plenty of captains before him this season have failed to do so after defeats. That Rashford did take the time to stop and speak to the media, in what is fundamentally a way of communicating with fans, showed how seriously he took that responsibility.

It's worth comparing Rashford's performances this season with those of Jesse Lingard. Both have been on the end of criticism from United fans, particularly on social media, and their close friendship and high jinx when together have regularly been used against them.

But while Lingard has turned in another disappointing season so far, Rashford is enjoying his best campaign as United player. His goal against City took him to 17 for the season, in 29 appearances for United. He has responded to the extra responsibility in attack following Romelu Lukaku's departure.

Ultimately Tuesday night's derby disaster is unlikely to be remembered fondly around Old Trafford, but it should launch a long captaincy career at the club for Rashford.