Manchester United Captain Determined To Bring Out Best In Fellow Red Devils

As Manchester United continues its pursuit of the silverware, team captain Harry Maguire is doing everything he can for the team.

Apart from the UEFA Champions League, the Red Devils are in a comfortable spot in all competitions this season. The next few weeks will be crucial for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side as the team is set for a Europa League tie with AC Milan, an English Premier League match with No. 5-seeded West Ham, and an FA Cup quarter-final game against Leicester City.

Speaking to UEFA.com ahead of an exhausting schedule of matches, Maguire admitted that though the Red Devils are in a much better position so far, he is still demanding “a lot” from his teammates.

“I'm doing everything I can to be a successful captain, and obviously the main thing is to start lifting trophies and start winning football matches on a continuous, consistent basis,” Maguire explained. “I demand a lot. I’m sure you could speak to a lot of players [and they’d tell you that] I’m loud around the place, I’m loud around the dressing room.”

“We’ve definitely improved,” the captain added. “I joined two years ago, and people didn’t think we’d get in the top four. We got in the top four. And then you start the next season and people don’t think you’ll get in the top four. But then when you find yourself, let’s say, sitting second in the table, people then say: ‘Well, Manchester United should be second in the table; they should be challenging for the top.’ So, everything…it’s just the demands, the demands, the demands.”

Despite the back-to-back Champions League losses to Paris Saint-Germain and RB Leipzig, Manchester United is still touted as a serious Premier League and Europa League title contender this season.

For Maguire, losing the chance to win the Champions League is a thing of the past and they are now focused on the other competitions.

“The mentality has changed,” the 28-year-old pointed out. “We’re more consistent now. Obviously, it was disappointing to get knocked out in the [UEFA] Champions League, but we've found ourselves in a position in the Premier League where now we’ve got to kick on.”

“AC Milan were a massive club. It was an exciting [Europa League] tie,” the 28-year-old continued. “It’s an exciting tie to be involved in. It’s an exciting tie to play in. They’re doing well in the league this year, so we know it’s going to be a tough game. ”

It didn’t take long for Man United manager Solskjaer to put his trust on Maguire. The English defender was appointed as the team’s captain despite only having joined the side in 2019.

According to Maguire, he and Solskjaer has developed a “great relationship” as they share the same “ideas” in terms of improving the group.

“[Me and Ole Gunnar Solskjær] have a great relationship,” Maguire revealed. “I feel he’s done brilliantly – he's cool, calm, but he's also got the side of him where he can turn when he needs to and when the players need a little telling-off.

“[But] We’re close,” he continued. “We speak a lot before training, before games. I give my ideas to him and how I feel the group is and the mentality of the group and what we can improve on and where we can go as a club, and he’s exactly the same.”