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Football

28th Apr 2023

Former Man United defender says that Harry Maguire had to play despite form

Robert Redmond

“He told me that Maguire had to play regardless.”

Marcos Rojo has suggested that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was under pressure to start Harry Maguire for Manchester United, regardless of the player’s form.

Rojo played for The Red Devils from 2014 to 2021 and made 122 appearances. He was at the club when Maguire arrived for a world record fee for a defender of £85m in 2019.

The ex-Argentina defender, however, has criticised his former teammate.

Harry Maguire

Marcos Rojo criticises former Man United teammate Harry Maguire.

Rojo said in a recent interview that he was ‘angry’ with Solskjaer for starting the England defender ahead of him.

The 33-year-old also said it was a positive development that Maguire has since lost his place to Lisandro Martinez in Erik Ten Hag’s strongest team.

“In 2019, I was very good in England,’ Rojo told TYC Sports.

“I was playing in the Europa League but I was very angry with the coach because he was putting Maguire in the team instead of me.

“Thank God they have taken him out now and Licha Martinez is playing.”

Harry Maguire

Rojo claims Solskjaer was under pressure to start Maguire.

Rojo also claimed that Solskjaer said that he was under pressure to start Maguire, regardless of his form, due to the player’s price tag.

“One day I went to Solskjaer’s office to tell him to let me leave for another club or put me in the starting line-up,” Rojo said.

“I said it was wrong that I wasn’t playing. But he told me that Maguire had to play regardless because they had paid so much money for him.

“He was making huge mistakes every week already. I told Solskjaer: “Son of a b****, let me play because this guy is making huge mistakes every week’.”

Rojo left Man United to sign for Boca Juniors on a permanent deal in February 2021.

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