Manchester United defender Harry Maguire has stated that he hopes Marcus Rashford will stay at the club, believing the forward has the potential to improve Michael Carrick's squad. Maguire's comments come after Manchester United's pre-season performance, which he described as their "worst" of the campaign, a week prior to their Premier League opener.
During the pre-season tour, Maguire also took on captaincy duties in the absence of Bruno Fernandes, suggesting he may serve as vice-captain this season. Fernandes himself missed a penalty for the second consecutive game, though his link-up play with Youri Tielemans showed positive signs as both players completed a full match together for the first time.
Maguire elaborated on the team's tactical aspirations, stating, "We're wanting to play much further up the pitch, be more aggressive and more on the front foot." He acknowledged that the recent match was an anomaly in their pre-season efforts. "This was the only game where I didn't feel we did ourselves justice in that aspect. We had a lot of high regains and created a lot of chances from that, but we didn't sustain our pressure anywhere close to enough."
The defender also shared positive sentiments regarding former manager Ruben Amorim. Both Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo, who had past disagreements with Amorim, were seen acknowledging supporters on the field. Amorim, who had a 14-month tenure at Manchester United, expressed his pride in his time with the club and affection for its supporters and staff.
"It was great to see him and all his staff," Maguire said of Amorim. "I got on with Ruben really well and all his staff. I am happy he has another chance to impress and show everyone what a great manager he is. I'm sure he's going to be a success. I have nothing bad to say about Ruben. It just didn't work out at Manchester United. But he's got a massive club now. I'll be following them and hope they have an amazing season."