Manchester United defender Harry Maguire has conveyed his frustration to manager Erik ten Hag about his lack of playing time this season.
Despite the team facing defensive injuries, the 30-year-old has been on the pitch for just 116 minutes in the Premier League.
The top-choice centre-back duo of Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez have been dealing with injuries lately, leading to Victor Lindelof, Jonny Evans, and Maguire being the available defensive options.
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The English star received his first Premier League start of the season in a thrilling 2-1 win against Brentford just before the international break. He provided an assist and delivered a solid performance.
🗣️ "I am not going to sit here every day of my life and play once a month!"
👀 Harry Maguire discusses his Man Utd future #manutd | #premierleague pic.twitter.com/Y7AT6J1DjA
— Mirror Football (@MirrorFootball) October 12, 2023
While he faces challenges at Old Trafford, Maguire remains a significant part of Gareth Southgate’s national team and is expected to feature in England’s matches against Australia and Italy.
As the Three Lions gets ready to host Australia in a friendly match at Wembley Stadium, Maguire voiced his increasing frustration over his limited chances with the Red Devils.
While speaking to the Mirror, the United centre-back said:
“I’m not going to sit here all my life and play only once every month, and if it carries on, then I’m sure myself and the club will sit down and have a chat about things.”
“I believe in my ability and what I’ve done in my career. Every player who is on the bench should believe that they should be starting otherwise they won’t be playing at a high level.”
“I’m no different. It’s been tough. I want to play games. I want to feel important to the club, I want to feel important to the rest of the team.”
The former captain has confidence in his abilities, having performed well for a long period under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
However, as his playing time decreased, so did his self-assurance. In the previous season, Maguire had limited opportunities, even falling behind Luke Shaw in the defensive pecking order.
It’s challenging for a player of his calibre to be happy with a backup role.
The issue for the English star is that this situation doesn’t seem likely to change. The team’s performance suffers when he’s in defence, and Ten Hag is aware of this.
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Maguire’s presence on the field appears to make the entire backline nervous, which is unfortunate because he possesses great quality as a player.
There’s speculation about a potential move away in January, especially after these comments. It brings to mind his refusal to transfer to West Ham last summer.
While he might earn more in Manchester, he’ll need to make a choice between playing regularly elsewhere or staying for a bigger paycheck.
