Harry Maguire and the burden of Manchester United captainship

Harry Maguire in 2019 became the world’s most expensive defender when he joined Manchester United from Leicester City in a £80 million transfer fee.

Expectedly, Maguire had tried to justify his significant transfer fee and his suitability as United’s skipper, but the 28-year-old  had continue to struggle since his return from injury last month and looks nothing close to the most expensive defender of all-time.

The England international was way off the pace in United’s recent heavy defeat against his recent former club and was similarly and distastefully run ragged during by Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah during the Red’s record breaking 5-0 win at Old Trafford.

Sadly again, Maguire was largely culpable for Atalanta’s second goal in the Champions League 2-2 draw in Italy on Tuesday night, playing Duvan Zapata onside before making a reckless and unsuccessful lunge at the Colombian who ended firing past David De Gea.

While Maguire’s below excellent performances have left many to question whether he is still struggling from fitness issues National Daily can confirm from the sources that revealed to Metro.co.uk that Maguire is not troubled by any lingering injury, nor is he playing through the pain barrier at a time when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer desperately needs results. The defender has continued to train as usual and hasn’t required a tailored programme.

National Daily further learnt that rather than relating Maguire’s poor performances to fitness concerns, there is a feeling within parts of Carrington that the United defender is instead struggling with the pressure of being club captain and feels a weight of responsibility for the side’s poor start to the season.

National Daily recalls that Maguire was appointed United’s skipper amidst concern from some quarters at the dressing room given that he hadn’t even completed his debut season at the Theatre of Dreams and was chosen ahead of more experienced members of the squad following Ashley Young’s departure in January 2020.

The defender’s misery seemed compounded as there is a sense that his job has been made even harder following the arrivals of serial winners in Cristiano Ronaldo and Raphael Varane from Juventus and Real Madrid respectively.

United’s legend and former skipper Roy Keane who was unsatisfied with Maguire’s poor display against Liverpool was quick to criticise the defender for his ‘robotic’ response to the 5-0 humiliation to the Reds last month as it appeared that there is an even greater pressure on the 28-year-old to lead a big personality studded side.

Keane speaking to Sky Sports maintained: ‘What Man United have always had over the years, never mind talented players, they had players with character and personalities,’

‘I don’t see it in this group.

‘I heard Maguire talking during the week, he was like a robot. He was like [adopts English accent]: “Oh, er, apologies to the fans.” There’s no emotion behind it.’