Harry Maguire has announced that he has been stripped of the Manchester United captaincy by Erik ten Hag.
The 30-year-old was made the Red Devils’ skipper in January 2020 by then-manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
The England international was an important member of the first-team under the Norwegian boss but has struggled for minutes since the appointment of Ten Hag.
He started only eight matches in the Premier League during the 2022-23 campaign, with Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martinez and Victor Lindelof all ahead of him in the pecking order.
Maguire expressed his disappointment at losing the captaincy in a lengthy post on Twitter.
He said: “After discussions with the manager today, he has informed me he is changing captain.
“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.
“So 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. It’s one of the greatest honours in club football.
“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 and they will have my full support.”
Maguire joined Manchester United in 2019 in a world record £80 million deal.
Since then, he has clocked up 175 appearances in all competitions at Old Trafford, netting seven goals.
The 30-year-old was brilliant during his initial years in Manchester but has faced a lot of criticism from fans recently.
Despite his club struggles, England manager Gareth Southgate has stuck by the experienced centre-back.
But the Three Lions boss has also indicated his lack of playing time at Old Trafford could impact his international role.
With the European Championship scheduled to take place in June 2024, the defender must decide whether he wants to continue at United.
West Ham United are said to be keen on him, with David Moyes looking to bring in defensive reinforcements ahead of the 2023-24 season.
He could be tempted to join the Hammers where he can hope to secure regular football next term.
