Erik ten Hag has explained his decision to strip Harry Maguire of the captaincy at Manchester United.
The England international confirmed the news himself via social media earlier in July, after stating that he and the manager had held talks in which Ten Hag informed Maguire of his decision.
It was later announced that Bruno Fernandes would be taking the armband moving forward after three years of Maguire filling the role.
All summer, the 30-year-old’s future has been uncertain; reports suggested that he would either stay and fight for his place at Old Trafford, or take on a new venture elsewhere where he would be granted more game time.
Now, it looks as though Maguire will be choosing the former option. West Ham United saw a £20 million bid rejected last week by the Manchester club and rightly so, as it was an insulting proposal for an established international player with a plethora of Premier League experience.
Ten Hag backs Maguire
Ten Hag is also adamant that Maguire still has a valuable part to play in his squad. Speaking to Andy Mitten of National News, he said: “It’s nothing against Harry [stripping the captaincy], it was in advantage of the team. Then you make the decision. But I will not say that Harry isn’t part of this group.
“He has to fight for his position,” the Dutchman continued. “He is a very good centre-back, and I believe in the potential of Harry Maguire. It’s just that he has to prove himself and fight his way into the team. It’s up to him, and I think he can do it.”
Ten Hag’s comment sounds a lot like, “Ronaldo is a key part of our plans”. We all know how that turned out.