Erik ten Hag says Harry Maguire can be "a great player" for Manchester United

Manchester United head coach Erik ten Hag has insisted that Harry Maguire can be "a great player" for the 20-time English champions.

The 29-year-old was in strong form for England at the 2022 World Cup, playing all five matches at the competition, with the Three Lions reaching the quarter-finals.

Maguire is currently fourth-choice centre-back at his club behind Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane and Victor Lindelof, though, with Ten Hag dropping his captain following the 4-0 loss at Brentford back in August.

There has been speculation surrounding the centre-back's future, with Man United said to be willing to let him leave during next summer's transfer window.

Ten Hag has suggested that Maguire is still down the pecking order at the club, but he is confident that the defender can overcome his difficult period.

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"I've been asked many times. It's clear he is good enough to play at the highest level," Ten Hag told reporters.

"He has, for England, good games almost all the time. He had a period in Manchester where he performed badly. Then, of course there are difficulties.

"But when he is working hard, he gets that confidence. You are seeing that with the way he is playing for England.

"We want him to bring it on the pitch for Manchester United. I expect from him, the team knows what they expect from him. If he does that, he will be a great player for us.

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"I have two or three good players in the right centre-back position. After Brentford, I had to change the mentality. He was unlucky that moment was bad for him but it doesn't say anything about his quality. Rapha came in and is doing a good job.

"There are laws of the game in top football. You have to take your chance. The only thing he has to do is train well and perform well. He has games, he has rhythm. His chance will come."

Maguire has only made nine appearances for Man United during the 2022-23 campaign, with just four of those outings coming in the Premier League.

However, the Englishman could start against Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on December 27, as both Martinez and Varane could potentially be involved in the World Cup final for Argentina and France respectively.

Maguire, who was linked with Barcelona and Chelsea over the summer, has a contract at Old Trafford until June 2025, with the option of an additional 12 months.