Maguire Stripped Of United Captaincy

Harry Maguire says he has been stripped of the Manchester United captaincy by manager Erik ten Hag.

Maguire was appointed skipper by Ten Hag’s predecessor Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in January 2020 – five months after signing for £80m from Leicester City.

The England centre-back says he is “extremely disappointed” but will “continue to give my all” in the shirt.

The 30-year-old made eight starts in the Premier League last season and is linked with a move to West Ham.

According to BBC Sport, Ten Hag will announce a new captain “in due course, after he has informed the players”. The new captain is unlikely to be confirmed until United arrive in New York on Thursday morning for their pre-season tour.

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“Everyone at Manchester United thanks Harry for his contribution as captain over the past three and a half years,” the club added.

Maguire played in 31 of the club’s 62 matches in all competitions during the 2022-23 season, with Portuguese midfielder Bruno Fernandes wearing the armband in his absence.

His contract at Old Trafford runs to 2025.

“After discussions with the manager today he has informed me he is changing captain,” Maguire posted on social media.

“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.

“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.

“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.”