Rio Ferdinand says Harry Maguire should look to leave Manchester United after being snubbed by Erik ten Hag in favour of Luke Shaw at centre-back in recent matches.
Club captain Maguire has started just two of the five games since the World Cup despite the late return of World Cup winner Lisandro Martinez. Ten Hag’s preference for having left-footed players at left-centre-back and vice versa saw Shaw get the nod at centre-half three times since coming back from Qatar.
United conceded just once in those matches, keeping clean sheets against Nottingham Forest and Wolves. Shaw's performances at centre-back have come at the cost of Maguire, who has found himself benched despite being a centre-back by trade himself.
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Maguire was already behind Martinez and Raphael Varane in the pecking order but now finds himself with another challenger for game time, despite having a good World Cup with England.
Ferdinand has suggested that Ten Hag may be “disrespecting” the 29-year-old, whom he announced would stay on as club captain over the summer. The United icon urged Maguire to seek a move elsewhere if he wants game time.
“If you’re him you have to leave now,” he told YouTube channel FIVE. “Luke Shaw’s playing centre-back instead of him. That’s like me going back after the World Cup, playing well, everyone saying he’s done really well, and Patrice Evra is playing centre-back. I’d want to strangle Patrice!
“I would’ve smashed Patrice in training to make sure he’s not available, and I’d be going to the manager and saying, ‘are you taking the p*** out of me, boss?’. I’d have walked straight into the manager’s office and said, ‘you’re disrespecting me’.
“Harry Maguire’s got to move. I think he stays because of the games and they can’t get someone else in. He plays in the cup games.”
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