Ronaldo's comments on captaining Man Utd for first time amid Harry Maguire drama

"It's always good to be captain of this massive club," said Cristiano Ronaldo after he wore the Manchester United armband for the first time in March 2008.

At the time, the current Portugal skipper wouldn't have envisaged becoming United's permanent captain, yet that's become a possibility amid Harry Maguire's form.

The England defender has failed to impress this season, with the Red Devils shipping in 40 Premier League goals - two more than Burnley in 19th.

Many are now calling for Ralf Rangnick to give Ronaldo the armband. "It might take some of the pressure off him if Rangnick makes Ronaldo captain in the short term," wrote ex-United midfielder Robbie Savage in his Mirror Football column last month.

Daily Mail columnist Michah Richards added: "Questioning whether the armband could, in the short term, be passed to Cristiano Ronaldo is no reflection on Harry's ability or character.

Richards went on to write: "He [Ronaldo] knows how to deal with it with his big personality... a break from the responsibility would do him good. He needs support to return to being the outstanding defender we know and expect him to be again."

Could Ronaldo become Man Utd's captain?

Ronaldo's first experience of captaining United was against Bolton, scoring in a 2-0 Premier League win at Old Trafford. In his post-match interview, he added: "For me, it's [captaining] an honour, it's a pleasure. But my responsibility is still the same.

"Not because I'm captain do I change my game, my personality. I keep as the same person. But, you know, it's always good to captain and I'm captain tonight."

Ronaldo's comments suggest he wouldn't reject the possibility of captaining United in their time of need - nor do they hint at a coup against a fellow player - and they should be taken with a pinch of salt.

They were made 14 years ago at a time when United were in a much different place. Sir Alex Ferguson's squad boasted countless leaders, including Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Edwin van der Sar, Michael Carrick and the injured Gary Neville.

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Ronaldo, just 23, wasn't the obvious choice. He is today, however, considering United's lack of leaders and his enhanced reputation as a skipper. After all, he's the man who led Portugal to Euro 2016 and Nations League glory - their first major titles.

And, as exclusively revealed by Mirror Football last month, Ronaldo and Maguire were embroiled in a power struggle for the armband. Maguire was reportedly reluctant to relinquish the captaincy and took to social media to state the team's unity.

"I've seen a lot of reports about this club that aren't true and this is another," claimed Maguire. "Not going to start posting about everything that is written but I need to make this one clear. We're United and focused on Sunday. Enjoy your day, everyone."

Much has been written about Maguire in the press, yet it's interesting that he took exception to this particular story. There's no doubting his pride as United skipper - and his determination to stay in the prestigious role.

There are also question marks over Ronaldo's long-term future in the team. Statistically, he's scored an impressive 18 goals in 32 outings for United this season.

Yet the team has regressed with him in attack, looking nowhere near as good as they did last term.

Ronaldo has just one year remaining on his existing deal and has been linked with a move away from Old Trafford this summer. Maguire's contract, meanwhile, runs for another 27 months. He was signed to lead United's defence for years to come and it would be a hasty decision to throw that plan away after just one poor season.

Perhaps most importantly, though, Rangnick has rejected the idea of giving Ronaldo the armband. "I don't see a reason to do that because Harry has been the captain so far and as long as Harry is playing he will be the captain," said the German in January.

Whether Maguire should remain as United's long-term captain is unclear, yet it's obvious Ronaldo would just be a short-term option if Rangnick was going to make such a call.

Ronaldo's "honour" and "pleasure" at captaining United hasn't diminished during the last 14 years, yet neither has his desire of doing his job for the team. Right now, his job is not being the skipper - and that's unlikely to change anytime soon.