Paul Pogba captained Manchester United in the absence of Harry Maguire in the 2-0 win over Granada earlier this month.
Given Bruno Fernandes was on the pitch, that was a significant show of faith from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
And speaking ahead of the Europa League semi-final clash against Roma, Pogba told UEFA.com he is embracing his leadership role at the club.
“You can be a leader both on and off the pitch,” said Pogba.
“You speak with the young players and the whole squad to motivate them; and motivating my team-mates motivates me in return.
“Whenever I see a team-mate training and working hard, that pushes me to train and reach my limits too. You need everyone to be involved if you want to succeed. You can’t win alone.
“We started the competition with a winning mentality and with our minds set on lifting the trophy. Roma want to win it too; they’re not just here for fun. We need to show more desire.”
Of course you can be a leader without being captain, but the armband was at the crux of one of Pogba’s biggest problems with Jose Mourinho.
In September 2018, Mourinho stripped Pogba of the vice-captaincy, further widening the rift between the two.
Pogba’s relationship with Solskjaer is better, but even then it has not been perfect.
For example, it might have been hard to imagine when Mino Raiola spoke out about Pogba’s future before the huge clash with RB Leipzig that by April he would be one of the group’s leaders at the business end of the season.
His current mindset indicates he’s focused on helping United end their wait for a trophy as well as being happy and settled at Old Trafford.
Pogba remains a strong influence in the dressing room and is a World Cup winner. He knows what it takes to get over the line and hopefully that rubs off on his teammates as crunch time approaches once again.
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