Harry Maguire has "everything a captain should have" and is a natural leader for Manchester United, according to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
The United boss praised the impact Maguire has had on the squad since he was appointed permanent captain in January, following Ashley Young's departure, and put him in the same bracket as great captains he played under such as Roy Keane and Gary Neville.
United valued Maguire's leadership skills and his potential to be a future captain when paying Leicester City £80million for him in the summer. Young's decision to move to Inter Milan has accelerated that process but Solskjaer is delighted with the way the 26-year-old has settled into the role.
"I didn’t expect him to be captain this quickly but he’s been in the dressing room and with the coaches, he’s vocal, he’s got the experience, he’s got everything a captain should have," Solskjaer said.
"I think it’s natural for him to take that role, his performances have helped. I’m delighted with the boy, that was one of the attributes we were looking at when we signed him."
Solskjaer didn't bracket Maguire as following any specific traits from the United captains he experienced as a player, but he had no hesitation in mentioning him with those players and pilling the expectation of the job on to the England international.
He wants Maguire to lead by example and believes he is getting exactly that so far.
"We’ve had different captains, Gary, Roy, Eric [Cantona], Giggsy, they’ve all been different personalities. Harry’s his own man, but Man United is, if not the biggest, one of the two or three biggest clubs in the world and he’s now the front man for it," Solskjaer said.
"You have to be thick skinned, you can’t sulk or feel sorry for yourself, you have to get on with things and be proactive.
"He’s got to lead men, we’ve got a few men and some boys as well, he’s got to go in front as an example for everyone."
Maguire's impact has been seen off the pitch as well as on it, with Solskjaer describing how he has organised social events and introduced a fining system for the squad.
He also praised the defender's commitment to the cause, for club and country.
"You’ve got to be able to churn out games, play time and time again. He’s never asked for a rest, he plays internationals, he plays for us, he plays midweek and weekend and he’s that type of personality that wants to be out there on the pitch, that’s a leader," Solskjaer added.
"He organises paintballing, he organises a fining system, he’s taken on everything."
