Siddharth Juyal
Manchester United defender Harry Maguire confesses that he is contemplating his future at the club.
Manchester United defender Harry Maguire spoke with honesty about his current predicament and his future aspirations. The 30-year-old has fallen down the pecking order under the manager Erik ten Hag, behind Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez.
Maguire has remained a pivotal figure for the national side but no one can be sure for how long. The Englishman needs to play regular club football to keep his place secure at the international level.
The 30-year-old has featured in only four games out of the 11 games United played in all competitions. Maguire did not make it into the matchday squad in three matches and he was an unused substitute in four.
Maguire spoke to reporters (h/t ESPN) ahead of England’s friendly game against Australia at St George’s Park on Friday. He said:
“I am not going to sit here all my life and play once a month and if it carries on, I am sure myself and the club will sit down and have a chat about things. It has been tough, I want to play games, I want to feel important to the club and to the rest of the team. At the moment I haven’t been playing nowhere near as much as I would like.”
United have lost six of their 11 games in all competitions but won the two in which Maguire started. During Ten Hag‘s first season, the club stripped the England international of his captaincy due to his inability to secure a first-choice centre-back role.
United signed Maguire for £80m from Leicester City in the summer of 2019, making him the costliest defender at the time. This summer, Manchester City broke the record after four years when they signed Josko Gvardiol, surpassing the previous record.
The 30-year-old has faced ridicule and criticism from fans and football experts due to his inconsistent performances. However, many people offered hate-filled, downright unreasonable, and unnecessary criticisms and mockery at times.
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Many important figures, such as England manager Gareth Southgate and David Beckham, have come to Maguire’s defense. He has defended himself by citing (h/t ESPN) the high win percentage for United when he started the games. The Red Devils had a 75%-win ratio last season when the 30-year-old played compared to 63% when he was absent.
Maguire deserves more game-time but we are not sure if he can get it at United. Ten Hag is putting the team together with players who suit his profile and style of play. We think the Dutchman might want a long-term solution for his defense, unlike the 30-year-old.
