LONDON (AFP) – Harry Maguire announced on Sunday he is no longer captain of Manchester United following talks with manager Erik ten Hag.
Reports earlier this month suggested Ten Hag was set to remove the England international from the role following Maguire’s limited appearances under the Dutch boss last season.
The central defender made just eight Premier League starts, sparking speculation over his future with the English giants.
But what is now certain is he will no longer be the skipper at Old Trafford, with Maguire writing on Twitter: “After discussions with the manager today he has informed me he is changing captain.
“He outlined his reasons to me and whilst I’m personally extremely disappointed, I will continue to give my all every time I wear the shirt.”
The 30-year-old added: “So I wanted to say a massive thank you to the Manchester United fans for all their brilliant support whilst I’ve been wearing the armband.
“Since the day I took on the role, three-and-a-half years ago, it’s been a huge privilege to lead Manchester United and one of the proudest moments of my career to date.
“It’s one of the greatest honours in club football. I’ve done everything I possibly could to help United be successful – on and off the field.
“I will always be grateful to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for first giving me the responsibility and I wish whoever now takes it on every success and they will have my full support.”
Bruno Fernandes was most frequently named captain in Maguire’s absence last season and the Portugal midfielder is the favourite to be given the role on a full-time basis.
Maguire has made over 170 appearances for United since being signed from Leicester for GBP80 million in 2019.
But the past two seasons have seen Maguire become the butt of social media jokes following some high-profile errors on United duty, although he has remained an England regular under manager Gareth Southgate.
With the arrival of Argentina’s Lisandro Martinez having also restricted his first-team opportunities at Old Trafford last season, Maguire has been linked recently with a move to Premier League rivals West Ham.