Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has told BBC Sport he is confident Harry Maguire can be a ‘great player’ for the club.
Maguire performed well for England at the World Cup, getting his most consistent run of games all season.
United’s captain lost his place early in the season, then suffered an injury, and has at times been fourth-choice starter at Old Trafford.
Ten Hag says he is pleased to see Maguire performing with confidence and wants him to replicate the same form at United.
Ten Hag backs Maguire
Ten Hag said: “I’ve been asked many times. It’s clear he is good enough to play at the highest level.
“He has, for England, good games almost all the time. He had a period in Manchester where he performed badly. Then, of course there are difficulties.
“But when he is working hard, he gets that confidence. You are seeing that with the way he is playing for England.
“We want him to bring it on the pitch for Manchester United. I expect from him, the team knows what they expect from him. If he does that, he will be a great player for us.”
Maguire will have a role at United
The days of Maguire being an automatic starter at United may be over, but he has an important role to play over the course of the season.
Raphael Varane won’t be ready to return to action in time for league action on the 27th, and so Maguire will hope to build up a case for a run in the side, so the Frenchman and Lisandro Martinez won’t be rushed into action.
Martinez is set to be suspended for United’s first leg fixture against Barcelona, so Maguire will be aiming to play an important role.
Whether he is happy being a squad player at the end of the season is unclear, and both manager and player could make a decision around this – but between now and next summer, Maguire has a chance to back up Ten Hag’s words and try and make himself indispensible.
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