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Manchester United captain Harry Maguire has opened up about about his lack of playing time and claims Erik ten Hag has told him he is "a top centre-half".
Alongside vice captain Bruno Fernandes, Maguire lifted United's first trophy for six years at Wembley on Sunday after they beat Newcastle 2-0 to win the Carabao Cup.
The England defender came on in the 88th minute of the final as United saw out the game comfortably to end their trophy drought.
He has had to make do with a substitute role this season, with Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez the preferred centre-back pairing under Erik ten Hag.
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Maguire has played just 906 minutes in 20 appearances in all competitions, making just five starts in the Premier League.
He's been heavily linked with a move away but speaking after the cup final, Maguire stressed that Ten hag still rates him despite not seeing the defender as first-choice.
“I'm a footballer who wants to play games and I also want to contribute to the team,” Maguire admitted, as per The Mirror.
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“I'm the club captain and I have a big responsibility on and off the pitch so it was nice to get ion and help the lads. The manager has been asked numerous times about my role in interviews and he tells me honestly that he believes in me, but this is football.
“The lads who are playing and starting, Raphael is playing really well and we've seen the manager's ideas, what he wants, and he does like a left-footed centre-back playing. So it’s high competition for places, but this is Manchester United. We want to win trophies, big trophies, and to do that you need competition.
“The manager speaks to me daily, he really respects me and believes that I'm a top centre-half with all the attributes to play in his team. But also he understands that the players who are playing – and I understand that the players who are playing – are playing very well.”
Going into the game, Maguire had been full of praise for his manager and said he had brought in "different" ideas to turn around the club's fortunes.
As he prepared to lift the trophy on Sunday, United fans think Maguire snubbed controversial co-owner Avram Glazer.
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The former Leicester City man shook hands with officials as but as he passed Glazer, making a rare appearance, he appeared to not acknowledge the American.
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Manchester United, Harry Maguire, Carabao Cup, Premier League, Erik Ten Hag