MANCHESTER – Harry Maguire, has revealed that he has been stripped of the Manchester United captaincy after crucial discussions with coach Erik Ten Hag.
Maguire made the announcement through a statement shared on Twitter on Sunday.
The 30-year-old England defender joined Manchester United from Leicester City in 2019 for a transfer fee of £80 million, had been appointed captain by Ten Hag’s predecessor, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, in January 2020.
However, the centre-back has faced challenges during his time at the club, marked by defensive errors and growing calls for his removal as captain.
Consequently, following talks with Ten Hag, Maguire confirmed the decision to relinquish the captaincy.
Expressing his disappointment in the tweet, Maguire stated his commitment to giving his all while wearing the Manchester United shirt.
“After discussions with the manager today he has informed me he is changing captain,” he tweeted.
“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 Manchester United fans for all their brilliant support whilst I’ve been wearing the armband.
“Since the day I took on the role, three and half years ago, it’s been a huge privilege to lead Manchester United 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 managed only 16 EPL matches last season after featuring in at least 30 matches every season since his arrival at Old Trafford.
It would be recalled that Manchester United suffered a setback in their Europa League quarter-final clash against Sevilla at Old Trafford, as late own goals by Harry Maguire and Tyrell Malacia resulted in a disappointing 2-2 draw.
Maguire has played 175 times for Man United in all competitions.
