27 February 2023 , 13:56
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Harry Maguire's stock in the eyes of the Manchester United faithful appears to have increased despite barely featuring in the Carabao Cup final triumph over Newcastle.
Instead, the much-maligned central defender has come in for some praise, not for what he did on the pitch but for what he didn't do while collecting the trophy. As is tradition, United's squad made their way up the iconic Wembley stairs to lift the League Cup, shaking hands with a number of people from the FA and high-ranking figures from the respective clubs.
Maguire did exactly that but appeared to snub the handshake of one infamous figure in United co-owner Avram Glazer. It was a move that went down very well with Red Devils fans online, given the American businessman is deeply unpopular in the red half of Manchester.
It was a memorable afternoon in the capital for United, who ended their six-year wait for a major honour under the guidance of Erik ten Hag. The Dutchman has only been at the helm since last May, yet has picked up the club's first trophy since the 2017 Europa League.
First-half goals from Casemiro and what was at first ruled a Sven Botman own goal but later changed to a Marcus Rashford strike were enough to see off the Magpies. Newcastle's 54-year wait for a trophy continues, with Eddie Howe's men crestfallen come full-time.
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What made the incident with Maguire and United's owner stand out, even more, was that Glazer was standing next to Red Devils CEO Richard Arnold, who the England international was more than happy to share a hug and a handshake with.
Harry Maguire did not shake hands with Avram Glazer before lifting the trophyHAVE YOUR SAY! Did Maguire deliberately snub Avram Glazer during the trophy lift? Comment below
Yet when the same opportunity presented itself with Glazer, Maguire opted to not engage and carry on walking. Instead, he chose to join the rest of his team-mates and lift the trophy in front of the thousands of travelling United fans.
Those same supporters could be heard regularly chanting against the Glazer's ownership throughout the game.
While some fans unveiled 'Glazer Out' banners inside the stadium, some others had their own anti-Glazer merchandise confiscated by Wembley staff.
In November of last year, the Glazer family confirmed they were looking to sell the club after 17 years of ownership.
However, four months down the line the takeover saga is no closer to a resolution and now there are mounting reports that the Americans could U-turn on their sale stance and remain in charge of United for the foreseeable.
The Glazers are still holding out hope that an offer will come in that will match their asking price of £5bn. If a group were to come in offering that much, it would make United the most expensively acquired sports team in history.