Manchester United captain Harry Maguire empathises with Cristiano Ronaldo amidst the ongoing speculations
Manchester United captain Harry Maguire has come out in support of Cristiano Ronaldo amidst speculations around the Portugal international’s future. The 29-year-old empathises with what the 37-year-old is going through.
With uncertainty around Ronaldo’s future at Old Trafford, the Portuguese is the focus of attention currently. The 37-year-old is in the eye of the media storm.
Speaking to Sky Sports (h/t Manchester Evening News), Maguire is full of praise for Ronaldo. The England international realises what the 37-year-old brings to the table- goals.
“Cristiano is a magnificent player and magnificent character to have around us. I know what it is like to have a lot of media speculation around me but he takes the majority of it.
“Everything he does is obviously scrutinised to a degree. I think this is what you get when you play for this club [due to] the size of the club.
“On the other hand when things are good you get a lot of praise. That’s football, that’s the sport that we play, there is a line that can be crossed and there are things we can do in this country to prevent that.”
Maguire knows all about being under the scanner. The United captain did not have the best of seasons for the Red Devils in the previous campaign. And the England international has come under a lot of media and fan pressure.
Maguire had a difficult campaign
The Manchester-based club was weak defensively last season. And Maguire didn’t exactly lead by example. Some high-profile errors that have led to goals have affected the centre-back’s confidence and reputation.
United supporters aren’t convinced of Maguire’s quality. The England international arrived in Manchester in 2019 in a big money move. But the former Leicester City star has failed to live up to expectations.
Cristiano, on the other hand, was United’s best player last season. The 37-year-old ended the campaign as our leading goalscorer. And it was the majority of other players in the squad that let the fans down.
But as of now, the Portugal international’s future is uncertain. He has missed most of the pre-season under new manager Erik ten Hag. Ronaldo only featured against Rayo Vallecano in the final friendly.
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The 37-year-old has seemingly told United he wants to leave. It has only served as a distraction for us. Hopefully, the situation is sorted out. Maguire and the Red Devils need to be focused on our first game against Brighton on 7 August.
