Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly asked to replace Harry Maguire as Manchester United captain last season.

The Portuguese ended up terminating his Manchester United contract in November 2022, after he criticised the club's hierarchy and manager Erik ten Hag in a television interview with Piers Morgan. Ronaldo also questioned the credentials of Ralf Rangnick, who took in a spell as United's interim boss before Ten Hag's arrival last summer.

According to ESPN, Ronaldo asked Rangnick to give him the captain's armband ahead of Maguire in the second half of the 2021-22 season, but the German coach refused to bow to his wishes.

Maguire has faced plenty of criticism since joining United from Leicester City in a record-breaking £80 million deal in 2019. He was made captain by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer six months after making his debut, but has struggled to cope with the demands of the role.

He was also advised to stay off social media after being ridiculed for posting apology messages during the club's poor run last season.