Samuel Luckhurst interviews Harry Maguire on his future, the decision to keep Erik ten Hag and how uncertainty over the manager's role damaged Man United's form.
Harry Maguire strides into the hushed surroundings of the SLS Hotel reception sporting retro-style Adidas Originals Manchester United T-shirt and shorts. Maguire's form last season was a throwback to the United centre backs of yore.
"I worked so hard throughout the year," Maguire rues, "to get myself in a position where I was in a really good position physically and in a really good position mentally to to play in the FA Cup final and then thinking about the Euros after that. "When I look back, I wish I had no chance with all of them, so I could have got my head around it. But I thought I was going to play in the cup final or be involved at some stage and I thought 100 per cent I'd be involved at the Euros. But it just didn't happen and maybe I just pushed myself to get back too early, but definitely it was the toughest moment of my career, definitely.
"We must remind ourselves he is really young. There are going to be mistakes but he has every attribute of a centre back in the modern game, he has it. So I’m sure he’s going to have a bright future. "Every summer and every transfer window at Manchester United, there are 15 players out of the door and we’re getting 45 players in! I think every player knows that’s what happens.
"He handled it brilliantly, to be honest, he just took each day as it comes. From us players, we didn’t see anything different in the manager, so credit to him for the way he handled it. The cup final after-party was a surreal celebration. "It was so strange," Maguire recalls. "No one really knew what was going on. No one had assurance.
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