Gary Neville responds after Harry Maguire brutally axed as Man Utd captain
Gary Neville has praised Harry Maguire for his "amazing response" after he was stripped of the Manchester United captaincy.
Erik ten Hag has taken the armband from Maguire after he struggled to stay in his starting XI last season. The England international made just eight Premier League starts during the 2022/23 campaign and is now being tipped to complete a transfer.
Maguire has made 175 appearances for United since he arrived from Leicester in an £80million deal four years ago, becoming the most expensive defender in history. It's believed Ten Hag has slapped a £50m price tag on the centre-back.
Bruno Fernandes is the favourite to replace Maguire as United's captain after wearing the armband for much of last season, while Casemiro is also in the running. An announcement on the new captain is expected before United's friendly against Arsenal on Saturday.
Maguire has received dozens of messages of support since he revealed Ten Hag's decision in a lengthy statement. Neville wrote "amazing response" in reply to Maguire's statement, while Diary of a CEO host Steven Bartlett called him a "class act".
Marcel Sabitzer completes Man Utd transfer after last-minute deadline day dash
Maguire was a regular during his first three seasons at Old Trafford but has fallen behind Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martinez, Victor Lindelof and Luke Shaw in the pecking order. He may need to play more often if he wants to stay in the England squad.
Harry Maguire was stripped of the Manchester United captaincy (Getty Images)Do you think Erik ten Hag has made the right decision? Let us know in the comments below!
Several Premier League clubs are considering a move for Maguire, including West Ham, Tottenham, Newcastle and Chelsea. Yet they may struggle to afford his £200,000-a-week salary. The former Sheffield United star still has two years left on his contract.
Maguire revealed his axing as captain on Sunday. He wrote on social media: "After discussions with the manager today, he has informed me he is changing captain.
"He outlined his reasons to me and whilst I’m personally extremely disappointed, I will continue to give my all every time I wear the shirt. So I wanted to say a massive thank you to the Man Utd fans for all their brilliant support whilst I’ve been wearing the armband.
"Since the day I took on the role, three-and-a-half years ago, it’s been a huge privilege to lead Man Utd and one of the proudest moments of my career to date. It’s one of the greatest honours in club football.
"I’ve done everything I possibly could to help United be successful - on and off the field. I will always be grateful to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for first giving me the responsibility and I wish whoever now takes it on every success and they will have my full support."
Maguire's axing as captain is the second ruthless decision Ten Hag has made this summer after David de Gea was released. United's four-time Player of the Year was their first-choice goalkeeper for 12 years but will now continue his career elsewhere.
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
