Harry Maguire's suitability as Manchester United captain is being called into question.

With worrying leaks flooding out of Old Trafford and into the British press at a worrying rate of knots, the England international is being put under added scrutiny as he endures a rocky season.

And with other senior players like Bruno Fernandes and Cristiano Ronaldo not exactly lacking leadership experience, there are no shortage of fans calling for the captain's armband to be passed on.

2021/22 Premier League captains

Truth be told, it's a complex and sensitive debate in which Maguire is often treated very harshly, so we wanted to take a wider look at the role of a Premier League captain here at GIVEMESPORT.

To do that, as inspired by James Allcott, we've called upon Tiermaker to assess the current climate of the division's skippers by ranking all 20 of them into categories ranging from 'captain, leader, legend' to 'vice-captain at best'.

Naturally, it's a matter of opinion at the end of the day and we can only go off what we see on and around the pitch with the full extent to each captain's leadership kept within the four walls of the dressing room.

Nevertheless, we'll be looking to rank the skippers by their hands-on leadership, ability to lead by example, their achievements at the club and how active they are within the current set-up.

Community and charity work won't be factored into our decisions because despite being an incredibly important part of being a captain, it would be unfair to compare and contrast philanthropic endeavours when they are all earnest in their own right.

"STOP THE MAN UNITED LEAKS!" (Football Terrace)

Ranking Premier League captains

So, as the pressure cranks up on Maguire at the 'Theatre of Dreams', be sure to check out where he places amongst the wider ecosystem of Premier League captains across our full rankings down below:

Vice-captain at best

Alexandre Lacazette

Is this harsh? Perhaps, but Lacazette's appointment in the wake of the entire Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang saga doesn't half feel like a stopgap that smacks of being counterintuitive to Mikel Arteta's project.

The opportunity was there for the Arsenal boss to stand firm with his investment in youth by giving the call up to a player like Martin Odegaard, Gabriel or even Aaron Ramsdale that could have seen them come into their own.

Instead, picking Lacazette - who has been linked with moves away from Arsenal in recent transfer windows - feels like the safe choice based more upon time served than having strong on-the-pitch leadership traits.

Soccer Football - Premier League - Arsenal v West Ham United - Emirates Stadium, London, Britain - December 15, 2021 Arsenal's Alexandre Lacazette reacts REUTERS/Tony Obrien EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club /league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details.

Time for a change

Harry Maguire, Luka Milivojevic and Hugo Lloris

Look, let's make one thing crystal clear: Maguire is one of the Premier League's best defenders on his day and you'd be barmy to say that he's completely bereft of captaincy skills.

But given his consistently inconsistent form at United and the wider issues pervading the club's entire infrastructure, we simply haven't seen enough after two years in the role to suggest that Maguire is the best man to guide the Red Devils through all the turmoil.

Similarly, Milivojevic maintaining his position in power despite his roll shrinking at the club feels like a hand-me-down from the Roy Hodgson era that, like Arsenal's situation, should be freshened up under Patrick Vieira.

Lastly, Lloris has been an underrated skipper for Spurs despite the stereotype that goalkeepers can't lead, but the time is now for Harry Kane to inherit the position that he commands with such dignity for England.

Soccer Football - Premier League - Manchester United v Brighton & Hove Albion - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - February 15, 2022 Manchester United's Harry Maguire celebrates after the match REUTERS/Peter Powell EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club /league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details.

A solid choice

Moussa Sissoko, Tyrone Mings, Kasper Schmeichel, Jamaal Lascelles, Lewis Dunk and Fernandinho

The captaincy situation at Watford has been a little murky this season, but Sissoko seems to have nailed down the armband after the more easy-breezy system under Xisco Munoz where it appeared to be passed around.

And while giving the nod to a new signing who could feasibly leave if the Hornets are relegated isn't ideal, there aren't many better options in the squad beyond William Troost-Ekong and Tom Cleverley for us to call it a disastrous move.

Meanwhile, Mings and Lascelles occupy a similar status in our minds where they both undoubtedly possess sound leadership qualities, but haven't necessarily led from the front as much as fans would like this season amid undulating form.

Dunk feels like the right pick for Brighton without particularly getting our blood pumping as an omnipotent skipper and Schmeichel - despite his undoubted class - can't help feeling like a big step down from Wes Morgan.

As for Fernandinho, this is admittedly something of a hot take that could easily be debated, but his appointment as skipper just screams of the Citizens pointing towards the longest-serving player by default.

He's undoubtedly a City legend, but has he been a legendary City captain? Not for us.

Soccer Football - Premier League - Manchester United v Manchester City - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - November 6, 2021 Manchester City's Fernandinho during the warm up before the match REUTERS/Craig Brough EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club /league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details.

Absolute general

James Ward-Prowse, Conor Coady, Ben Mee, Seamus Coleman, Pontus Jansson, Lewis Cooper and Grant Hanley

The simple fact of the matter is that more Premier League clubs get their captaincy right than don't and these seven leaders - regardless of what you think of them as players - are all the correct picks in our eyes.

Ward-Prowse is by far and away the most impactful player in Southampton's squad, so inspires and leads from the front with real gusto before we even mention the fact that he's been at the club since 2003.

Coady is a major leadership finger in both the Wolves and England squads, Hanley has captained Norwich to two Championship title wins and Mee lives and breathes Burnley with almost 400 appearances for the club.

As for Cooper, the Leeds hero has been there and done that across eight seasons playing regularly in both the Championship and Premier League, so brilliantly keeps the club grounded as captain.

Elsewhere, Jansson resides in that Goldilocks zone of not only being one of Brentford's best players, but also having great captaincy traits too and Coleman's 13-year love affair with Everton frankly speaks for itself.

Soccer Football - Premier League - Brentford v Everton - Brentford Community Stadium, London, Britain - November 28, 2021 Everton's Seamus Coleman looks dejected after the match REUTERS/Ian Walton EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club /league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details.

Captain, leader, legend

Jordan Henderson, Cesar Azpilicueta and Mark Noble

Look, there's no two ways about it, Henderson's rise from a player almost sold for Clint Dempsey after one season and whose arrival was reportedly the cause of a director's sacking is nothing short of staggering.

To go on and captain the Reds to Premier League, Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup glory through all the troubles both himself and Liverpool have endured since 2011 makes him a shoo-in for the top tier.

As for Azpilicueta, it's another no-brainer because the Chelsea hero has now won ever single honour available to him at Stamford Bridge - and we've got at least nine reasons as to why he's 'captain, leader, legend'.

And although Noble is featuring less and less on the pitch with each season, we'd be out of our minds not to garland Europe's fourth-longest-serving player for his epic loyalty and leadership straddling decades.

Soccer Football - Premier League - Liverpool v Chelsea - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - July 22, 2020 Liverpool's Jordan Henderson with teammates celebrates with the trophy after winning the Premier League Pool via REUTERS/Laurence Griffiths EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details.

Fair play to all 20 captains

Now, as we say, other opinions are available and who knows, perhaps we've gotten the wrong end of the stick with some of the skippers pulling on the coveted armband in the Premier League.

Besides, regardless of whether you think Maguire should be relieved of the United captaincy or not, there's no escaping the fact that there is a lot of pressure that comes with leading a top English club.

So, for that, we salute all 20 skippers regardless of where they placed in our Tiermaker because if you're the captain of a Premier League side, then you're most certainly doing something right. Power to you all.

Soccer Football - Premier League - Manchester City v Leeds United - Etihad Stadium, Manchester, Britain - December 14, 2021 General view of Leeds United's Luke Ayling holding the captain's arm band after the match Action Images via Reuters/Carl Recine EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club /league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details.