What Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag said to Harry Maguire over summer transfer

Harry Maguire says he always believed he could break back into the Manchester United team despite Erik ten Hag telling him he was not guaranteed minutes this season.

Maguire, November’s Premier League player of the month, was linked with a move away after having the captaincy stripped off of him over the summer, with West Ham tabling a £20m bid which was rejected. The 30-year-old said he was determined to stay at Old Trafford and prove himself once again.

“Ultimately it was down to me and the manager, and what the manager said to me,” Maguire told BBC programme Football Focus when discussing last summer’s crossroads. “He [Ten Hag] couldn’t guarantee me games at the start of the season but he was very happy for me to stay and fight for my place and at the end of it I chose that option.

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“The lads who played in my position last year did extremely well but I always have great belief in myself that I could get back into the team and help the team.”

United are three points off the top four and could close the gap with a win over Bournemouth on Saturday, although the season has been far from smooth. An early League Cup exit and staggered Champions League form has been accompanied by poor Premier League performances against Tottenham, Manchester City and Newcastle.

Maguire says the only acceptable level for United to be at is challenging for trophies but gave reasons why United have somewhat stalled throughout the campaign so far. “We progressed last season really well,” he said.

“This season I think the Premier League, the top six to eight teams have all improved drastically and we’ve been