Ten Hag hails Maguire after Man Utd beat Copenhagen
Manchester United head coach Erik ten Hag has been told Harry Maguire and Scott McTominay are role models for the rest of the squad to follow by his predecessor Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The Norwegian spent three years at the helm at Old Trafford before his sacking in 2021 and had a key role in turning the pair into United regulars, with Solskjaer suggesting Ten Hag was wrong to take them out of the side.
Solskjaer pushed to sign Maguire from Leicester City in a world-record £80million deal back in 2019 and made the England international his captain shortly after.
That decision was undone by Ten Hag this summer, however, when he brought to an abrupt end to Maguire’s reign as skipper and appointed Bruno Fernandes instead.
The Dutchman also made it clear the 30-year-old was no longer a regular in his defence, preferring the partnership of Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez. But injury to the latter has brought Maguire back into the fold after he turned down a £30m switch to West Ham.
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McTominay has also emerged as a key figure for Ten Hag during a turbulent time in Manchester and it could be argued the Scot’s miraculous double in stoppage time to earn a 2-1 win over Brentford saved Ten Hag’s job.
Yet both players looked to be heading for the exit after the United boss turned his back on them in favour of putting together his own team, with Mason Mount, Casemiro and Sofyan Amrabat all joining the midfield ranks to rival McTominay. And Solskjaer, who has been without a job since leaving United, praised the duo for turning their fortunes around and claimed he always backed them to prove their worth.
“I knew they had it in them, and I think it’s these types of people who get paid for their efforts and get paid back for what kind of people they are,” Solskjaer told Norwegian outlet Nettavisen. “They are the kind of people you want in a team.”
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United have endured their worst start to a season since 1962-63 after losing eight out of their first 15 games in all competitions. They have rallied in recent matches, at least in terms of results, after winning three games in a row against Luton, Sheffield United and Fulham.
Maguire has been hailed as one of the leading figures in their recent revival and Solskjaer believes his response to losing his place and captaincy deserves applause.
“I think he has dealt with it in a fantastic way (stripping of captaincy). It has not been easy. I have kept in touch with him and I have nothing but praise for the guy,” he added. “He has been in it. It’s not easy to leave Manchester United because you know there’s a downturn almost everywhere you go.
“You get paid for your efforts when you are that type, when you are a good footballer and show that you have a heart for the club, I guess he has gradually learned who to listen to. I am very happy that Harry in particular shows what kind of player he is, but not least what kind of type and person he is. That’s why I made him captain. We in Norway call it ‘hell wood’.”
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