Erik ten Hag can help rejuvenate Harry Maguire at Manchester United by bringing in the right players to allow their £80million captain to shine. That is the message from ex-United favourite Jaap Stam.
Change is on the horizon at Old Trafford as Ten Hag prepares to step into the hot-seat after first setting sights on a third Eredivisie title in four seasons with Ajax. His appointment has now been confirmed and he will be handed over the baton by interim manager Ralf Rangnick this summer.
Among other targets, United are set to go after a new centre-back during the upcoming window, despite handing over £34million to Real Madrid for Raphael Varane last summer. He was settled on as a partner for Maguire, who has come under mounting pressure for his displays and ability to lead the team.
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However, according to Stam, added competition or signings for other areas could prove just the ticket for the 29-year-old England international to kick on next season. Maguire is currently on the sidelines with a knee injury as he watches Varane and Victor Lindelof combine at centre-back in his absence.
Speaking to the PA news agency, Stam said: "I still think that Harry is a good player. He is a good defender.
"You need to understand that every player - and I've had it myself - goes through rough spells that he's having and hard times, the confidence is a bit low, he's not feeling well and making mistakes. So when you cost £100m and you are making a mistake, yeah, the pressure on you is a lot more than when you're costing a few quid."
Stam added: "He's played this season good games as well. Having this season now and maybe a new coach coming in, having a fresh start, learning a lot from this season as well and what he's done and what he needs to do.
"Does he need to make a change or not? Maybe having different players next to him or in front of him can help him out as well in terms of feeling more confident, so maybe next season you'll see a total different player."
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