Cool, calm Ole has done brilliantly at United says Harry
HARRY Maguire has opened up on his relationship with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and the conversations the pair have behind the scenes.
The defender was the Norwegian’s major United signing in the summer of 2019 and was quickly appointed captain, a role the centre-back says he relishes.
And Maguire revealed the pair have a close understanding at Old Trafford. He says he passes on the mental state of the Reds squad before key training sessions and matches to the manager.
“[We] have a great relationship,” said Maguire.
“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.
“We’re close. 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.”
In the era of games being played behind closed doors, Maguire can regularly be heard cajoling his teammates and barking orders and admitted it’s part of his captaincy style to be loud.
On being United skipper, he said: “It’s a huge privilege. I feel so lucky to be able to lead this club and be captain of this club. It’s a huge honour.
“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.
“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.”
Maguire also spoke about
tomorrow’s Europa League tie against AC Milan at Old Trafford.
“When I was growing up, AC Milan were a massive club,” added the England defender.
“The San Siro is an iconic stadium, so when we got drawn and people told us about who we got, it was an exciting tie.
“It’s an exciting tie to be involved in. It’s an exciting tie to play in.
“Obviously, we’ve got Diogo [Dalot] on loan there as well, so I’m sure a few of the boys are in contact with him.
“And we know what a great team they are. They’re doing well in the league this year, so we know it’s going to be a tough game.”