Defender Harry Maguire has wished his successor as Manchester United captain “every success” after being harshly excluded from manager Erik ten Hag’s plans ahead of the new season. Maguire confirmed on Sunday that he would no longer wear the captain’s armband for the Red Devils following a conversation with Coach Ten Hag. This further casts doubt on Maguire’s future at Old Trafford, after a season in which he not only lost his starting position but also made only 8 appearances in the Premier League.
Not part of the Dutch manager’s plans, Maguire became the fifth-choice center-back. He not only fell behind the pair of Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez but also trailed Victor Lindelof and left-back Luke Shaw, whom Ten Hag preferred in the left-sided center-back position.
In a statement on social media, Maguire revealed that he had “done everything possible to help Manchester United succeed, both on and off the pitch.” And regarding his replacement as Manchester United captain, Maguire simply said, “I wish whoever takes it every success, and they will have my full support.”
Elaborating on his decision to resign, Maguire stated, “After discussions with the manager, he informed me that there would be a change in captaincy. Therefore, I want to express my deep gratitude to the Manchester United fans for their tremendous support during my time as captain.
Since assuming this role three and a half years ago, I have had the immense privilege of leading Manchester United, and it has been one of the proudest moments of my career to date. It has been one of the greatest honors for me at MU.”
The likely candidate to replace Maguire as Manchester United captain is Portuguese star Bruno Fernandes, who frequently wore the armband under Ten Hag last season.
Shortly after Maguire’s announcement, the official Manchester United website also confirmed the news: “Everyone at Manchester United thanks Harry Maguire for his contributions as captain over the past three and a half years. The manager will announce the new captain of MU in due course, following the communication with the players.”
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