Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has confirmed that Harry Maguire will continue as captain for the upcoming season.
In his first pre-season press conference as Manchester United manager, an enthusiastic Ten Hag spoke positively about the defender ahead of Tuesday's clash against Liverpool at the Rajamangala Stadium, Thailand.
He said: "I have to get to know all the players, but he's an established captain and he's achieved a lot of success."
Maguire struggled in large spells throughout the 2021/22 campaign, but managed to retain his captaincy under the management of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick.
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And it appears he will do so under Erik ten Hag, who is keen on bringing in a new centre-back to partner the England international, with Ajax man Lisandro Martinez being a potential target.
Former Manchester United full-back Gary Neville was delighted with the decision. "Good," Neville said on Twitter when the Maguire news was announced.
Neville then hit back at critics of his previous tweet.
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"So the same United fans fuming with me for applauding the decision to keep Maguire as captain seem to be without knowing criticising the new manager for his decision," he wrote.
"Maybe support Maguire and stop bullying him on here! The new manager obviously likes him."
Another subject brought up in Monday morning's press conference was the future of Cristiano Ronaldo.
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The Dutch manager said the five-time Ballon d'Or winner was "in our plans" amid reports that the player wants to leave Old Trafford in his quest to play Champions League football next season.
When asked about Ronaldo's current situation, Ten Hag said: "He is not with us due to personal issues. We are planning with Cristiano Ronaldo for this season. That is it.
"I am looking forward to working with him," he added. "Cristiano is not for sale. He is in our plans. We want success together."
Ten Hag also confirmed he spoke to Ronaldo ahead of their tour in Thailand.
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"I had a good talk," he said. "That is between Cristiano and me, what I can confirm is we had a really good conversation together."
Thoughts on the news surrounding Maguire and Cristiano Ronaldo? Let us know in the comments.
Topics: Harry Maguire, Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester United, Erik Ten Hag, Premier League
Jack Kenmare