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‘CLEARLY he’s good enough to play at the highest level…we want him to bring that back to Manchester’: Erik ten Hag challenges Harry Maguire to replicate his England World Cup form for United as he looks to revive his career at Old Trafford
- Erik ten Hag has challenged Harry Maguire to maintain his level of performance
- The defender was a key piece for England throughout their World Cup journey.
- His club boss encouraged him to bring that form back to Old Trafford.
- Maguire had been out of favor for most of the season before the break
Erik ten Hag has challenged Harry Maguire to replicate his England form for Manchester United if he wants to revive his Old Trafford career.
Maguire has remained a key player under Gareth Southgate and remembered his prime when he started all five games at the World Cup.
That is in contrast to his contribution for United in the first half of the season with a sub-par Maguire making just nine appearances, and five starts, for Ten Hag’s side.
Harry Maguire had an excellent campaign for England during the 2022 World Cup
Man United boss Erik ten Hag has encouraged Maguire to continue that form for his club.
The 29-year-old paid the price for United’s poor start and was sacked after the calamitous 4-0 defeat at Brentford in August, with Raphael Varane taking over as Lisandro Martínez’s preferred central defensive partner.
Maguire has at times slipped to fourth in the pecking order behind Victor Lindelof, raising questions about his future at the club.
United and Maguire will have a big decision to make in the summer if a defender who cost Leicester £80m in 2019 doesn’t play more regularly.
Asked if he would consider selling Maguire, who still has two and a half years left on his contract, Ten Hag said: “Only when I don’t want to be in these circumstances anymore.” Until then, I’m happy with it.
Maguire appeared in each and every England match throughout the tournament.
I can only endorse it. It is clear that he is good enough to play at the highest level. Then it’s up to him to show that confidence on the pitch, and he didn’t show it in every game.
“He had a spell at Manchester where he played poorly and then of course there are difficulties. For England, he has good games almost all the time.
We want him to bring that back to Manchester with him so he can take it out on the pitch for Manchester United. I expect from him and the team knows what they expect from him. If he does, he’ll be a great player for us.
“I think he had a very good World Cup. He was really consistent. When he plays with confidence like now, he’s a very important player for us and that’s what everyone expects.
Maguire has been given a week along with other United players who went out in the same round.
‘That’s what Harry expects of himself, so it’s up to him. I’m sure he has the potential to play with our style and fit into our system.
‘There are laws of the game in high-level football, you have to take advantage of your opportunity. He’ll have a chance to prove it, and then he’ll be inside and play.’
Maguire has had a week off along with the rest of the United players who came out in the quarter-final phase with England, Portugal, Brazil and the Netherlands.
He is scheduled to start against Nottingham Forest on December 27 and Martinez and Varane will not return until Boxing Day after reaching the semi-finals with Argentina and France.
Raphael Varane had been a starter at United but is still in the final four for the World Cup
United’s backroom staff are understood to have struggled to lift the England contingent when they returned to the club last summer after losing the Euro 2020 final on penalties to Italy, but Ten Hag insists they are ready to deal with the consequences of the World Cup.
“We are prepared for every situation, if the players are successful, if they are not successful,” he added.
‘There will be some who will be really happy and some will come back really disappointed and some may be in the middle. I am very happy with the performances of all our players.