Man United fans may be angry after unexpected Harry Maguire news – pundit
Alan Hutton has claimed that Harry Maguire is the “right choice” for the Man United captaincy next season.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former Tottenham and Aston Villa defender said Erik ten Hag has “seen something” in Maguire.
The club confirmed (11 July) that the 29-year-old will remain as the United captain for the 2022-23 season.
Maguire joined the Red Devils from Leicester in the summer of 2019 and was given the armband shortly after his arrival at Old Trafford.
Ten Hag told club media he “doesn’t doubt” that the England international will be successful.
When asked if he thought it was the right decision, Hutton told Football Insider: “Only time will tell.
“Erik ten Hag has gone in there and he’s come across as if he’s let everybody know he’s the boss, he’s going to make the rules. It’s his way or the highway basically.
“This was probably the moment where if he was going to change the captaincy, this was the time. He’s obviously seen something in Harry Maguire.
“He had a difficult season last season, we all saw that. But so did a lot of players within that squad.
“Then you think, who else does he give it to? Does he give it to [David] de Gea, the goalkeeper? Possibly. After that, there are not too many candidates. [Cristiano] Ronaldo looks like he wants out, they’re not going to give it to him. [Bruno] Fernandes was up and down last season as well.
“So I think it’s probably the right choice at this moment in time, even though a lot of the Man United fans might not be happy with the decision, and see it as unexpected.
“I think the way Ten Hag is going to want to play football, it could suit Harry Maguire. So it’s all about working hard, yes there’s a lot of pressure being the Manchester United captain, but it’s something he’s going to have to deal with and I think he can do it.“
In other news, a pundit has backed Man United to sign Robert Lewandowski after journalist’s update – ‘I have a sneaky feeling’.