No more captain's armband for Maguire. The Englishman considers the decision unfair.
Ten Haag has now informed Maguire that he will be changing captains ahead of the new season, which has left the defender "extremely disappointed", as he announced via his personal Twitter account.
Maguire inherited the Manchester United captaincy after Ashley Young left for Inter Milan in January 2020, just six months after moving from Leicester City to Old Trafford, becoming the world's highest-paid defender. The 30-year-old was a mainstay in the Red Devils' defense until Ten Haag's arrival as manager last year. Rafael Varane and Lisandro Martinez have been preferred over Maguire in the 2023-24 team pecking order, raising doubts over his status as captain and his long-term presence at the club. Ten Haag has now informed Maguire that he will change captains ahead of the new season, which leaves the defender "extremely disappointed".
The England international confirmed the news with a message on social media, which read:
After discussions with the manager today, he confirmed to me that he will change captain. He explained his reasons and while I am personally very disappointed, I will continue to give my all every time I wear the shirt. I mean a big thank you to the Manchester United fans for their wonderful support while I wore the armband. Since the day I took up this role, over three years ago, it has been a great privilege to lead Manchester United and it has been one of its proudest moments of my career to date. It is one of the greatest honors in football. I have done everything I could to help United be successful - on and off the pitch. I will always be grateful to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for giving me first take responsibility and I wish the new leader all the best and he will have my full support. Harry.
Manchester United added in a statement: The whole of Manchester United would like to thank Harry for his service as captain over three-plus years. The manager will announce the new captain in due course, following the update of the players.
Bruno Fernandes wore the armband for most of last season while Maguire was on the bench, and the Portuguese is now the hot favorite to become Manchester United's new permanent captain. The possibility of Maguire's move away from Old Trafford could intensify following his announcement, with West Ham and Aston Villa currently among those mentioned as potential destinations for the experienced centre-back.
Maguire was absent from United's pre-season opener against Leeds last week, having been given extra time after international duty with the England national team in June. He could return for the friendly against Lyon on July 19 but is expected to face more questions over his future before United begin their tour of the United States three days later.
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