England centre-back Harry Maguire has expressed his disappointment with his present situation at Manchester United.
The 30-year-old defender has only started six Premier League games this season with Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez ahead of him in the lineup.
While Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick were in charge, things were much different for him. Erik Ten Hag sparingly utilized the English star this season after having him play in 37 games across all competitions the previous year.
Although Maguire acknowledged he doesn’t enjoy his current situation at United, he still respects his manager’s choices. As reported by the Independent, Maguire said:
“I’m not going to stand here and say I love it, or that I like it. I don’t. I want to play every game and I have done for the last eight years of my career.”
“Also, I have to respect the manager and his decisions and also respect how good the competition is at centre-back at this club.”
“Of course, I want to play every game and I’m sure if you spoke to our centre-backs in their roles, they will all be disappointed when sat on the bench. It is not like I’ve been frozen out or not been involved.”
“I’m still playing many games but obviously, as a footballer, I want to play every game. But I’m sure every other centre-back in the dressing room does as well, and the manager cannot play all four.”
In 2019, United paid a record-breaking £80 million to sign Maguire from Leicester City. The 30-year-old showed promise during his first two seasons with the team, but his performance levels declined last year as he battled for consistency.
Under Ten Hag, his chances have plummeted this term. The Dutch coach removed him from the squad after Maguire’s underwhelming efforts in the first two games.
Nobody can fault Ten Hag for not often using the English defender when Varane and Martinez are playing so well. Maguire is obviously dissatisfied with his present circumstances, which is natural given that he is still a top-tier centre-back.
The 30-year-old is a regular player for the England side despite his difficulties with his club. This summer, he’ll probably ask for a transfer, and if the appropriate offer comes around, United may decide to let him go.
