Manchester United fans have booed Harry Maguire ahead of Tuesday's pre-season friendly clash against Crystal Palace in Melbourne.
United boss Erik ten Hag has confirmed Maguire, 29, will retain the armband this coming term after weeks of speculation. Some fans have called for the England international to be stripped of the captaincy following a series of poor performances last season.
Maguire was part of a United defence that conceded 57 Premier League goals, four more than relegated Burnley. After a fine 2020-21 campaign and being named in the Euro 2020 Team of the Tournament after starring for his nation, Maguire’s form nosedived.
Despite speculation that a new coach would signal a change in captaincy at Old Trafford, Ten Hag immediately ruled out this possibility by clarifying: "Harry Maguire is the captain. He's an established captain, he's achieved a lot of success, so I don't doubt this issue."
It is a decision which has split the United fanbase and that was more notable than ever as Maguire's name was audibly booed by large sections of the club's supporters ahead of Tuesday's clash against Palace. He was also jeered when he touched the ball in the early stages of the game, although this was also countered by audible cheers from other United fans in attendance.
The arrival of central defender Lisandro Martinez from Ajax has further intensified the scrutiny of Maguire's position as the battle for first-team positions increases. Raphael Varane and Victor Lindelof are other major contenders for a starting spot under Ten Hag, while Eric Bailly, Axel Tuanzebe and Phil Jones are also still on the club’s books.
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Maguire recently admitted his form last season fell below the standards but he was more determined than ever to bounce back this season: "Listen, last year was disappointing. As an individual, I didn't play well and as a team, we certainly didn't play well.
"But a good career can last 10 to 15 years and you’re never going to have every year where it's plain sailing and you don’t have any difficulties. You're going to have to fight, you’re going to have setbacks and last year was certainly a setback for me on my career path. But it's behind us now and we look forward to the future and getting this club back to winning trophies, which is what it's all about."
Maguire joined United from Leicester City in an £80million deal in the summer of 2019 and was soon installed as the club's captain – a status which he has retained since.
