Manchester United defender Harry Maguire has suggested he will need to have talks with the club over a potential January transfer if he continues to “play once every month”.ย
The England centre-back has fallen out of favour under Erik ten Hag, making just nine Premier League starts since the beginning of last season. He was also stripped of the captaincy this past summer.
After move to West Ham United fell through during the transfer window, Maguire is determined to win his starting role back.
โI have belief in my ability and what I have done in my career as every player should,โ Maguire said, via Press Association.
โEvery player who is on the bench should believe they should be starting, otherwise they wouldnโt be playing at a high level. I am no different.
โListen, itโs been tough. I want to play games. I want to feel important to the club and I want to feel important to the rest of the team.
โAt the moment I havenโt been playing anywhere near as much as Iโd like. Itโs the bottom line of it.
โIโve just got to make sure I am ready to take the opportunities when they come along.โ
Maguire says that a lack of gametime will become a problem closer to Euro 2024, hinting that a January move could be on the cards so that he can stay in Gareth Southgate’s plan for the tournament.
โI mean, Iโm not going to sit here all my life and play once every month and if it carries on then Iโm sure myself and the club will sit down and have a chat about things,” he said.
โBut, honestly, at the moment Iโm fully focused on two games for England, two big games.
โThen Iโm fully focused on fighting and trying to get back my place at Manchester United and helping the team climb up the league to where we should be.โ
Southgate has admitted concerns over the Man United player’s level of involvement, but has continued to pick the 30-year-old for the national team.
โItโs not my decision whether I start the next game or not,โ he said. โIโm unsure on that. Iโm sure in a couple of weeks Iโll go back and find out.
โListen, if you look back on my last 15 to 20 starts for club and country, I would be happy to sit here and say โIโm really happy with my performancesโ.
โMy record under this manager speaks for itself. I havenโt started as many games as Iโd like, but my win percentage when Iโve played is ridiculously high.
โAnd of course thereโs times when I can do more and times when I can improve and help the team, but, yeah, Iโm just wanting to help the team.
โIโm wanting to help the team get out of this position that weโre in at the moment and hopefully we can do that in the coming weeks.โ
A number of defensive casualties at the club meant that Maguire was handed his first league start of the campaign against Brentford on Saturday, during which he laid on the assist for Scott McTominay’s winner.
โI can only do what Iโve been doing in terms of when Iโve come into the team, bringing positive performances,โ Maguire said.
โIโve started two games this season and come on in a few off the bench, but, yeah, keep working hard in training.
โThe manager can only watch training and make his decision from training and the games when I get the opportunity to play.
โIโll keep working hard, Iโll keep pushing. I have great belief in myself.โ
Read โย Harry Maguire reveals โtouchingโ Beckham support
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